An MRVC underway in Dimapur. (Health Department Photo)
404034 children vaccinated so far
DIMAPUR, NOVEMBER 3 (MExN): The ongoing Measles and Rubella Vaccination Campaign (MRVC) has so far vaccinated 404034 children with a total coverage of 90.14% through numerous school and outreach sessions throughout Nagaland.
A press release issued by the State Immunization Officer, Dr Atoshe Sema, Directorate of Health & Family Welfare, (DoH&FW) Nagaland said the department has been relentlessly encouraging and sensitizing children, parents and the community to support and come forward in eliminating measles and controlling rubella through MR vaccination.
With only a few days left to conclude the campaign, the health department elucidated a few things based on which the whole campaign has been designed by the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India.
When a high percentage of the population is vaccinated, the health department maintained that it is difficult for infectious diseases to spread, because there are not many people who can be infected.
Termed as ‘herd community’ or ‘herd protection,’ for instance, if someone with measles is surrounded by people who are vaccinated against measles, the disease cannot easily be passed on to anyone, and it will quickly disappear again.
It also gives protection to vulnerable people such as newborn babies, elderly people and those who are too sick to be vaccinated.
Herd immunity only works if most people in the population are vaccinated (for example, 19 out of every 20 people need to be vaccinated against measles to protect people who are not vaccinated). If people are not vaccinated, herd immunity is not guaranteed to protect them.
Unlike vaccination, herd immunity does not give a high level of individual protection, and so it is not a good alternative to getting vaccinated.
Some people in the community rely on herd immunity to protect them. These groups are particularly vulnerable to disease, but often cannot safely receive vaccines include, people without a fully-working immune system, including those without a working spleen, people on chemotherapy treatment whose immune system is weakened, people with HIV, newborn babies who are too young to be vaccinated, elderly people etc.
For these people, herd immunity is a vital way of protecting them against life-threatening disease, the health department stated.
The health department also pointed out that the requirement for all children between 9 months up to 15 years who are most susceptible to getting infected with Measles and Rubella to be 100% vaccinated with MR vaccine is of the highest priority for the success of this National Campaign towards making our State free from these life-threatening diseases.
Therefore, every responsible parent and community should take this task as a moral and social responsibility towards making our society free from such vaccine preventable diseases for which there are no guaranteed treatment methods, the health department stated.
Once the campaign is over, MR vaccine will be available only under routine immunization which will be administered only at 9 months and 16 months to a child and hence older children will not be able to avail this vaccine anymore.
Therefore, all have been reminded not to miss this opportunity and visit any government health facility for vaccination at the earliest.
