Collateral Damage – Analysing the Measles Outbreak | 25th November 2022 | UPSC Daily Editorial Analysis

What is measles?

• Measles, also called Rubeola, is a highly contagious, acute, and febrile respiratory viral disease.
• It is a viral disease that can prove serious for young children, but it is easily preventable by the measles vaccine.
• It is one of the main causes of worldwide mortality and morbidity, mostly in the regions of Africa and Southeast Asia.
• The symptoms of measles include: High fever, Weakness, Cough, Runny nose, Pitted or cracked nails, A measles rash, Sore throat, Koplik spots inside the mouth, Muscle pain, Light sensitivity.

Immunisation programmes in India:

Universal Immunization Programme (UIP):

• The Expanded Programme on Immunization was launched in 1978. It was renamed as Universal Immunization Programme in 1985 when its reach was expanded beyond urban areas.
• UIP is one of the largest public health programmes targeting close to 2.67 crore newborns and 2.9 crore pregnant women annually.
• It is one of the most cost-effective public health interventions and largely responsible for reduction of vaccine preventable under-5 mortality rate.
• Under UIP, immunization is providing free of cost against 12 vaccine preventable diseases:
  • Nationally against 9 diseases:
    1. Diphtheria,
    2. Pertussis,
    3. Tetanus,
    4. Polio,
    5. Measles,
    6. Rubella,
    7. severe form of Childhood Tuberculosis,
    8. Hepatitis B
    9. Meningitis & Pneumonia (caused by Hemophilus Influenza type B)
  • Sub-nationally against 3 diseases:
    1. Rotavirus diarrhoea,
    2. Pneumococcal Pneumonia
    3. Japanese Encephalitis
• A child is said to be fully immunized if the child receives all due vaccines as per national immunization schedule within the 1st year of child.
• The two major milestones of UIP have been the elimination of polio in 2014 and maternal and neonatal tetanus elimination in 2015.

Mission Indradhanush:

• Mission Indradhanush (MI) was launched in December 2014 and aims at increasing the full immunization coverage to children to 90%.
• Under this drive focus is given on pockets of low immunization coverage and hard to reach areas where the proportion of unvaccinated and partially vaccinated children is highest.
• It provides vaccination against 12 Vaccine-Preventable Diseases (VPD).