Four confirmed measles deaths in the past four months have stirred the State Health Department into action with health officials holding a meeting on Thursday to chalk out the way forward to prevent the spread of this highly contagious disease.
While senior officials confirmed that they are mapping to identify the high risk zones, the department is also working at sending a preliminary report of the survey to World Health Organization (India) experts.
A senior State Family Welfare Department official said: “Four hundred cases of measles have been reported from the city so far. We are carrying out tests in children in the high-risk zones to map the cases and see if there is any trend in the spread and spike in cases.’’
Over 300 cases were reported from Maharishi Valmiki Infectious Diseases Hospital, which is under Municipal Corporation of Delhi – North, alone between January and March.
State health officials confirmed that they have collected and despatched throat swabs and urine samples of the confirmed 299 cases (till May 21 this year) to the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC). The centre will look into the possible mutation of the virus.
Stating that measles vaccination is available for children, Delhi Medical Council member Dr. Anil Bansal said: ``It is worrying to see so many cases coming forward. We fear that parents aren’t following the vaccination charts accurately.’’
The measles virus spreads through coughing, sneezing and close personal contact. The symptoms include high fever, runny nose, cough, red and watery eyes, small white spots inside the cheeks and rashes all over the body. Those most at risk are unvaccinated, malnourished children especially those living in slum cluster and crowded areas.
Meanwhile, previously in a study published in the Indian Journal of Medical Research it was noted that measles vaccination in Delhi only seems to protect one of five children against the disease.
The study lead Dr. Sunil Gomber, Professor of Paediatrics at University College of Medical Sciences, noted that the presence of anti-bodies against the viral infection was seen in only 21.4 per cent of the children, with four of five immunised children in Delhi still susceptible to measles.
To enhance the effect of the vaccine prescribed under the national programme, the children are given additional vaccine for measles with the Delhi Government having adopted an extra Measles Mumps Rubella vaccine since 1999.
Additional doseResearchers found that an additional dose of MMR vaccine increased the immunity among children, with 72.6 per cent of the children becoming immune after the third measles vaccine.
Several bodies, including WHO, UNICEF and the National Technical Advisory Board for Vaccines, have begun recommending a second dose of measles vaccine for children at 18 months of age.
