Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has identified over 1.38 lakh children in the age group of six months to five years from measles-affected areas for the administration of the additional dose of the measles and rubella vaccine, as per the directive of the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
There are around six lakh children in the age group of nine months to five years in Mumbai. Of these, the BMC has identified 1,34,833 children who would be given the extra dosage of MR vaccine in 33 health posts in the areas which have reported the highest number of measles cases.
Along with that, out of the 30,000 children aged between six and nine months, 3,496 would be vaccinated in the same affected wards where measles cases in the age group are above 10 per cent of the total cases.
“Mostly, we would start the vaccination for the special dose Monday. The centres for the vaccination are in the process of identification,” said an official from the BMC.
“Administering one additional dose of Measles and Rubella Containing Vaccines (MRCVs) to all children aged 9 months to 5 years in vulnerable areas (geographies which are showing recent increase in numbers of measles cases) should be identified by the state government/UT administration in ‘Outbreak Response immunisation (ORl)’ mode,” said the order issued by the ministry.
