RAWALPINDI: Around two million children, between 9 months to 15 years of age would get anti-Measles injection and Rubella vaccine under a 13 days long drive which will be carried out in the entire district from November 15 to November 27.
District Health Officer for communicable diseases Dr Waqar Ahmed while talking to reporter said Medical superintendents and Principals of government hospitals have been asked to provide lists of vaccinators, according to the allotted numbers of the Health Department till October 5.
He added that directions have also been passed to the education department to provide the lists of students enrolled in government and private schools to make the campaign successful.
Dr Waqar informed that training of dispensers, vaccinators, supervisors and other related staff would be started from Monday while the health department was engaged to fight the deadly Coronavirus besides the rising number of dengue cases.
“Measles is an acute viral respiratory illness and is characterized by a prodrome of fever and malaise, cough, coryza, and conjunctivitis -the three “C”s -, pathognomonic enanthema (Koplik spots) followed by a maculopapular rash while the rash usually appears about 14 days after a person is exposed” he added.
Explaining Rubella infection, Dr Waqar said it was also known as German measles or three-day measles and caused by the rubella virus.
He said that this disease was often mild with half of the people not realizing that they are infected.
“A rash may start around two weeks after exposure and last for three days, it usually starts on the face and spreads to the rest of the body” the health officer informed.
He said that it could cause a miscarriage or serious birth defects in a developing baby if a woman was infected while she was pregnant.