'The MR vaccines are completely safe and sans any side effects. Children who have previously received 1 or 2 doses of this vaccine, should still receive another dose during the this campaign. Children with minor illness like cold, diarrhoea and mild fever can still receive the dosage. Baseless allegations and rumors are been circulated through social medias by some anti vaccination groups claiming the vaccine to be unsafe, which is completely a hoax' affirms Dr. Karthick Annamalai, Secretary Indian Pediatric Association Coimbatore Chapter and Consultant Pediatrician at Coimbatore Childrens hospital.
'Thus the Indian Academy of Pediatrics Coimbatore city branch urges parents not to believe in rumors against the vaccine but come forward to administer the vaccine to their children from 9 months to 15 years of age group and protect them such contagious and life-threatening diseases. Through this vaccination drive from 6th to 28th February, 2017 our government aims to completely erode such contagious virus from our community. The vaccine was licensed in India since 1983, and until now the vaccine has helped to control the spread of the disease to a great extent', he added.
Dr. Karthick further stated that, 'Both Measles and Rubella are endemic disease in India. Last year, the state of Tamil Nadu recorded around 500 cases of Measles and 2000 children are affected by congenital rubella syndrome characterized by deafness, blindness, heart and brain defects. Hence the disease burden of both Measles and Rubella are quite high in our city. The present MR vaccine is very effective and safe in preventing these diseases.
Due to these anti vaccination group, last year, there was a surge in the number of cases of diphtheria in Kerala,.Two deaths, twenty cases of diphtheria were reported in July 2016 at Malappuram,Kerala. Malappuram has witnessed strong anti-vaccination propaganda in the past too. Unwarranted rumors alleging the vaccines as a measure to control the population is also circulating in social medias.
According to government data, an estimated 1.2 lakh students are either not immunized or partially immunized in Malappuram.