‘Over 1 in 9 didn’t get measles jabs during 2019-21’
More than one in nine eligible children nationally did not receive any dose of the measles vaccine in the 201921 period and nearly 30 per cent received just one dose.
This alarming fact came to light after frequent outbreaks of measles post Covid prompted researchers from the health ministry’s immunisation division, Banaras Hindu University, and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to take a closer look at vaccination data from the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5).
In a paper published in the journal Vaccine, the researchers investigated dose-wise measles vaccination coverage and explored gaps in immunisation focusing on zero-dose, onedose, and two-dose coverage among children aged 24-35 months.
The study analysed information from 43,864 children taking into account sociodemographic variables such as birth order, wealth quintile, gender, social group, religion, residence, mother’s education, delivery-related factors, and media exposure.
The study noted that a significant percentage of children receiving zero doses signalled a concerning gap in immunisation coverage.
The analysis showed considerable variations between states and districts in zero-dose prevalence.
The analysis showed that in some districts of Uttar Pradesh, with a high number of births, the prevalence of zero-dose children was as high as 34.2 per cent in Prayagraj and 32.2 per cent in Banda, while Hapur
◗ ANALYSIS SHOWED that in some districts of Uttar Pradesh, with a high number of births, the prevalence of zero-dose children was as high as 34.2 per cent in Prayagraj and 32.2 per cent in Banda
and Etawah had 2.6 per cent and 2.1 per cent respectively.
The findings revealed that zero-dose cases were high in the northeastern states, with Nagaland reporting the greatest share at 26 per cent. Tamil Nadu was found to report the lowest at 4.6 per cent.
There were significant differences at the district level even within a state. For instance, in Arunachal Pradesh, West Siang district had the highest prevalence of children classified as zerodose cases at 49.6 per cent while Lower Dibang Valley district had 2.8 per cent.
The study found children with higher birth orders and those from the poorest wealth quintile exhibited a higher percentage of zero doses. It showed that mothers with lower levels of education had increased odds of having zero-dose measles children.
Further, mothers with limited media exposure also showed a higher probability of their children having a zero-dose status for measles.
Humans are said to be the only reservoir for measles virus and getting vaccinated is the best way to avoid getting sick and spreading the disease.
In 2017, India adopted the ‘National Strategic Plan for Achieving and Sustaining Measles and Rubella Elimination.’
The country adopted a roadmap for eliminating measles and rubella in September 2022.
There is an urgency to reach at least 95 per cent coverage for both doses of measles vaccine as unvaccinated (zero-dose) children “pose an immediate health risk, amplify disease transmission, and act as a barrier to the measles elimination goal.”
The paper said, “With consistent efforts, the country aims to catch up on the immunisation gaps and vaccinate dropped-out and leftout children this year through Intensified Mission Indradhanush (IMI) 5.0 campaigns.”
“So far, six phases of the Intensified Mission Indradhanush (IMI) have been conducted from 2017 to 2022 with a focus on measles-rubella (MR) elimination vaccinating approximately 1.9 million children,” it added.