‘MR Vaccine Campaign in India’ – Get ahead Success

Abstract

India stands at the cusp of yet another public health feat. Having successfully overcome the challenges of diseases like polio, maternal and neonatal tetanus and yaws in the recent past, the country is making confident strides to triumph over measles and rubella. Viral diseases like measles and rubella even continue to flourish. MR (Measles & Rubella)-vaccine is a combination vaccine administered in a 2-dose schedule, offers protection against Measles, and Rubella. The vaccine is widely recommended by WHO and GAVI as a substitute for prevailing vaccination practices against the above mentioned diseases and viruses. Measles Rubella (MR) campaign is being launched in the country covering all children of 9 months to below 15 years of age group. The vaccine has met with positive and some little negative responses, which leads to challenges about the vaccine‘s safety and the pros and cons of the vaccine was to be evaluated carefully and ultimately time to replace the current measles primary vaccination schedule in the immunization programme first dose in 9 months, second dose in 15 to 18 months. Conclusion: Elimination of Measles and rubella in India will require a sustainable improvement in both commitment and activity of the whole country towards the WHO goals regarding MR vaccine launched into national immunization schedule.