According to a report by the World Health Organization and US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately 11 lakh children in India did not receive their first dose of measles vaccine in 2022. This places India among the top 10 countries with the highest number of children missing out on the initial vaccination.
Additionally, India is one of the 37 countries that experienced significant outbreaks or disruptions, with 40,967 reported cases of measles in 2022.
The report highlights that globally, measles immunization reached its lowest levels since 2008 during the pandemic, resulting in an 18 per cent increase in cases and a 43 per cent rise in deaths in 2022. These findings provide the first estimates of vaccination gaps following the pandemic.
Dr N K Arora, head of the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (NTAGI), explained to Indian Express that vulnerability to measles increases significantly when a single cohort misses out on vaccination. The gaps in immunization primarily occurred in peri-urban areas and clusters where subsequent outbreaks were reported.
Such gaps have been addressed through three rounds of the Intensified Mission Indradhanush, which concluded in October, Dr Arora further said. This mission aims to provide immunization services to children who missed their vaccinations. In order to achieve the goal of elimination, the campaign's coverage was expanded this year to include children up to the age of five, with a focus on the measles-rubella vaccine.
Post pandemic, increased measles cases were reported in mainly 5 states- Bihar, Gujarat, Haryana, Jharkhand and Maharashtra. At least 13 deaths were reported in Maharashtra in 2022, leading the government to launch an outbreak response immunization drive between November 2022 and May 2023, covering almost 13 lakh children.
Dr Arora also highlighted India's strong performance in terms of measles surveillance sensitivity. The report indicates that only half of the countries have reached the target, but India's sensitivity is three to four times better, surpassing the globally recommended non-measles discard rate of 2 per 100,000.
Measles typically presents symptoms such as high fever, cough, runny nose, and red rashes, but it can also lead to severe complications like brain swelling, pneumonia, breathing difficulties, and even death. The report indicates that globally, approximately 33 million children missed either both doses or the second dose of the measles vaccine.
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