The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has backed India’s efforts to increase measles vaccination in the country through routine immunisation and anti-measles campaigns. In a statement issued here, UNICEF said it strongly supported the government’s efforts in increasing measles vaccination campaigns.
The statement assumes importance in the wake of four children dying reportedly after they were given measles vaccine during a routine immunisation drive at Mohanlal Ganj area of Lucknow.
An enquiry into the incident is under way to ascertain the cause of the deaths and fix responsibilities on those handling the immunisation programme. While it is not known for sure what shots the children were given, the possibility of improper handling of cold chain and procedures is also being probed by a Union Health and Family Welfare Ministry. The UNICEF statement said measles was among the world’s most contagious diseases and one of the leading causes of death among children worldwide. Even healthy and well-nourished children, if unvaccinated, are at risk of the disease and its severe health complications such as pneumonia, diarrhoea and encephalitis. An estimated 400 children die from measles every day. Three of four children who died from measles in 2008 were in India.Worldwide, an estimated 4.3 million measles deaths have been prevented in less than a decade by vaccinating nearly 700 million children against measles.