Pioneer News Service
DALTONGANJ
While Jharkhand continues to report near-universal coverage of polio immunisation, health experts have raised concerns over significant gaps in measles-rubella (MR) vaccination in Palamu, Garhwa and Latehar districts, warning that the shortfall is contributing to a rise in measles cases among children.
Medical officials said around 18-20 per cent of eligible children miss either the first or second dose of the MR vaccine, leaving them vulnerable to the highly contagious viral disease. The first dose is administered at nine months of age and the second at 18 months.
According to sources at the Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS), 62 suspected measles samples from Palamu were tested over the past two months, with 21 returning positive. In Latehar, six of 22 suspected cases tested positive, with the Barwadih block reporting more infections than other areas. Garhwa recorded eight positive cases out of 43 suspected samples.
Palamu District Reproductive and Child Health Officer Dr S.K. Ravi said MR vaccination coverage stands at 85 per cent for the first dose and 83 per cent for the second, indicating dropout rates of 15 per cent and 17 per cent, respectively.
Garhwa Civil Surgeon Dr John F. Kennedy said the district has identified 371 children who missed one or both MR doses. He said community health workers and medical staff have been directed to intensify surveillance, particularly in Majhiaon block, where several cases have been reported.
Health officials also acknowledged that a 69-day shortage of MR vaccines in Jharkhand had disrupted immunisation sessions. Experts stressed that timely administration of both MR doses can prevent up to 94 per cent of measles infections and called for renewed focus on routine immunisation alongside successful polio campaigns.
