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Rajasthan vaccination drive starts amid protests
Why is it in the news
- The measles-rubella vaccination campaign, targeted to cover 2.26 crore children up to 15 years of age, has started in Rajasthan amid protests by parents in some parts of the State.
More in the news
- The drive met with resistance on its opening day at a school in Bharatpur district’s Nagar block where the parents of 600 students prevented the health officials from vaccinating the children.
- Some students after vaccination were shifted to a hospital when they complained of vomitting and nausea.
- Also, some parents alleged that the vaccination was being done without taking their consent and it would have an “adverse impact” on their future generations.
- Besides, the World Health Organization has reported that Rajasthan has carried out 90% vaccination in 2018-19.
- The measles-rubella vaccination drive is set to cover all pre-school children, government and private school children and out-of-school children.
- India accounted for 36% of deaths of the world’s children by measles.
About the Disease:
- Rubella, also called German measles is a contagious viral infection best known by its distinctive red rash.
- Rubella is not the same as measles (rubeola), though the two illnesses do share some characteristics, including the red rash.
- However, rubella is caused by a different virus than measles.
- Unlike measles, rubella is a mild viral infection that mainly occurs in children.
- Congenital Rubella Syndrome, or CRS, is an important cause of severe birth defects.
- A woman infected with the rubella virus early in pregnancy has a 90% chance of passing the virus to her foetus.
- The virus can cause hearing impairments, eye and heart defects and brain damage in newborns.
- This can also cause the death of the foetus, or CRS.
Source
The Hindu