Target To Eliminate Measles And Rubella (MR) By 2023:
India had set a target to eliminate Measles and Rubella (MR) by 2023, having missed the earlier deadline of 2020, due to a variety of reasons, exacerbated by disruptions due to the pandemic.
- In 2019, India adopted the goal of measles and rubella elimination by 2023, anticipating that the 2020 goal could not be reached.
- Mission Indradhanush was launched in 2014 to ramp up vaccinating the unvaccinated population.
- During 2017–2021, India adopted a national strategic plan for measles and rubella elimination.
- During the same period, the Government introduced rubella-containing vaccine (RCV) into the routine immunisation programme.
- As of December 2021, five countries have been verified and have sustained measles elimination – Bhutan, DPR Korea, Maldives, Sri Lanka, Timor-Leste. In addition, Maldives and Sri Lanka have sustained their rubella elimination status in 2021.
Measles:
- It is a highly contagious viral disease and is a cause of death among young children globally.
- It is caused by a single-stranded, enveloped RNA virus with 1 serotype. It is classified as a member of the genus Morbillivirus in the Paramyxoviridae family.
- It is particularly dangerous for children from the economically weaker background, as it attacks malnourished children and those with reduced immunity.
- It can cause serious complications, including blindness, encephalitis, severe diarrhoea, ear infection and pneumonia.
Rubella:
- It is also called German Measles.
- Rubella is a contagious, generally mild viral infection that occurs most often in children and young adults.
- It is caused by the rubella virus which is an enveloped single-stranded RNA virus.
- Rubella infection in pregnant women may cause death or congenital defects known as Congenital Rubella Syndrome (CRS) which causes irreversible birth defects.
- Rubella isn’t the same as measles, but the two illnesses share some signs and symptoms, such as the red rash.
- Rubella is caused by a different virus than measles, and rubella isn’t as infectious or as severe as measles.
