Sunday mass prayer in churches in Dindigul city has become an opportunity for the municipal health officials to enlighten participants on MMR vaccine. ‘Prevention is better than cure’ is the mantra the health officials offer to the masses during prayers.
Launching the campaign at St. Our Lady Dolours Church at Mettupatti here on Sunday, Municipal Health Officers M. Anitha and Gandhimathi said that the vaccine was safe and effective. The doctors appealed to parents not to believe any rumour on the side-effects of the vaccine.
Parents should utilise the opportunity to vaccinate their children to improve their immunity. The main objective of the programme was to eliminate measles and rubella syndrome by 2020 and build up immunity in children aged between 9 months and 15 years, they added.
Several parents were confused whether to vaccinate their children or not. We wanted to alleviate their fear and enlighten them. Such measure would help health officials cover all the children, said Dr. Anitha.
A child having rubella virus would suffer from deafness, blindness and cardiac defects, she added.
