Who Will Get the Measles-Rubella Vaccine and Who Won’t

The government is launching an emergency Measles-Rubella (MR) vaccination campaign today, Sunday (5 April), following a sharp rise in measles cases among children across the country. The campaign begins at 9:00 AM.

The Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI) has issued four clear guidelines regarding who will receive the vaccine and who will not:

EPI Guidelines:

1. All children will receive one extra dose during this emergency campaign, regardless of how many MR doses they have previously received. This will be considered an additional booster dose. Even children who already got the vaccine at 9 months and 15 months will receive one more dose now.
2. Minimum 28-day gap must be maintained between two MR doses. If a child receives the vaccine today, the next dose (if needed) can only be given after 28 days.
3. Regular vaccination schedule continues — Children who are due for their routine MR doses at 9 months and 15 months under the national immunization programme (yellow card) will still receive them as scheduled.
4. Sick children will not be vaccinated — Children suffering from fever or any illness will not be given the MR vaccine. They can only be vaccinated after full recovery.

The government has urged parents to bring their children to the nearest vaccination centres to protect them from measles.