Kerala is witnessing a measles outbreak with over 160 registered cases so far from Malappuram district alone. State health minister Veena George said that adequate action is being taken against the outbreak while the Kerala Government has asked parents to ensure measles vaccination of their children without fail. No casualties have been reported in the state so far.
Measles also known as ancham pani in local parlance, mainly affects children aged between 9 months and 5 years. It may affect teenagers and adults as well. The Union Health Ministry on Wednesday asked states to consider administering an additional dose of measles and rubella vaccines (MR vaccine) to all children of the vulnerable age group in the affected areas.
Veena George said the department is taking stringent measures for the prevention of the disease and an Additional Director (public health) has been sent to Malappuram for coordinating preventive measures.
Adequate amounts of MR vaccine and Vitamin A syrup have been made available in the district, she added.
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The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has also deployed an expert team to investigate the measles outbreak in Kerala. The team is likely to meet the Health Secretary today after their visit to Malappuram, India Today reported.
Apart from Malappuram, the Centre has sent high-level teams to Ranchi and Ahmedabad to assess and manage the increase in the number of measles cases in these cities.
The number of measles cases in Maharashtra since the start of the year has reached 717, including 303 in Mumbai, the state health department said.
(Edited by : Sudarsanan Mani)
