BS RAWAT
NEW DELHI : Over twenty crore children in 30 states and Union Territories have been administered Measles-Rubella (MR) vaccine since it was launched in India in the year 2017, Dr. Pradeep Haldar, Deputy Commissioner, Union Ministry of Health, has claimed.

Dr Haldar was speaking at a National Media Engagement Workshop on Measles Rubella Vaccination campaign organized by the Directorate of Health Services, Government of Delhi, with support from UNICEF.

He said, “The largest ever vaccination campaign worldwide aims to cover approximately 40 crore children in the age group of 9 months to less than 15 years of age. Children will be given a single shot of MR vaccination during the campaign.”

“The MR vaccine will be provided for free in schools, during the campaign, in health facilities and at outreach session sites. This is another most effective and cost-effective way to achieve our goals,” Dr Haldar added.

Dr. Nutan Mundeja, Director, Directorate of Family Welfare, Government of Delhi, told DTMT, “In Delhi, a five-week MR campaign will be launched on January 16, 2019, which aims to cover nearly 55 lakh children in eleven districts covering all preschool children, school children and out-of-school children.”

Besides Dr. Pradeep Haldar, Dr Nutan Mundeja, the workshop was attended by Dr Mallika Medhi, a official of Delhi Government’s health services, Dr. Binita Goswami, state immunization officer, and officials of UNICEF, WHO and UNDP and representatives of national and regional media.

The objective of the workshop was to sensitize the media about the ongoing Measles Rubella Vaccination campaign in India and the State’s preparedness for introducing the MRV campaign.