THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Repeating the Measles-Rubella (MR) vaccination will not harm the children but only will help them attain better resistance against the disease, said doctors. The MR vaccination campaign that began in city on Tuesday will cover over six lakh students. “Those between the age of nine months and 15 years will have to be vaccinated against the disease. However there needs to be no fear of overdose,” said Medical College officials, the partners in vaccination programme, in a statement.
“Usually a measles vaccination is administered to children when they turn nine months. In certain hospitals, along with the same vaccine, a Measles, Mumps, and Rubella (MMR) vaccine will be given when the child turns 15 months,” said a Health Department official. A third round of MR vaccine will help boost children whose have not attained adequate level of resistance against the diseases. The vaccine contains attenuated viruses. When a child has certain level of immunity, the body simply ignores the next round of vaccination.
What is MR?
Measles locally known as ‘Mannan’, ‘Pokkan’ and ‘Anchampani’ can lead to small rashes and further aggravate into Pneumonia, Encephal-itis among others. On the other hand, Rubella or German measles come with rashes that are bigger that measles but smaller than Chicken pox. If this disease is contracted during pregnancy it can lead to miscarriage, heart diseases, blindness, hearing issues and mental retardness. Both the diseases will spread only from humans to humans and not from animals. The drive will be continue until November 3.
