The paradox of the pandemic and its effects on Child immunisation

The paradox of the pandemic and its effects on Child immunisation

Subject : Science and Technology

Concept:

The paradox of the pandemic is that while vaccines against Covid-19 were developed in record time and deployed in the largest vaccination campaign in history, routine immunisation programmes were badly disrupted, and millions of kids missed out on life-saving vaccinations against deadly diseases like measles

Global status on Child immunisation

• The World Health Organization and the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated, a staggering 40 million children had missed a measles vaccine dose, globally, in 2021
• The first four months of 2020, showed a substantial drop in the number of children completing three doses of the vaccine against diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis (DTP3). “This is the first time in 28 years that the world could see a reduction in DTP3 coverage – the marker for immunization coverage within and across countries
• In 2021, there were an estimated 9 million cases and 128 000 deaths from measles worldwide.
• India has a high incidence of measles, given that it has the highest birth numbers
• The measles cases (and deaths) are reported from India, in states including Maharashtra, Kerala, Gujarat and Jharkhand, due to pandemic-linked lockdowns and realignment of resources to roll-out Covid-19 vaccines and support.

Threat of Measles:

• The measles outbreak is a “tracer” (or “early warning” of sorts) on other vaccine-preventable diseases
• Measles is an air-borne virus, and occurs largely in infants. The mortality risk was high in those less than nine months. Measles is more contagious than COVID 19

Refer:

https://optimizeias.com/measles-outbreak-hits-mumbai-and-nearby-areas-13-deaths-in-a-month/ Measles is more contagious than Covid-19

https://optimizeias.com/mumbai-measles-outbreak-what-is-the-role-played-by-lack-of-vaccination/