Measles outbreak: Union govt tells states to heighten surveillance, give pre-emptive care

With a surge in measles cases in some states, the Union government told states to increase surveillance of fever and rash cases, according to a Hindustan Times report.

Over 900 cases of measles have been reported from Maharashtra and Kerala so far with Maharashtra recording 15 deaths.

The Central government also directed the states to conduct doorstep surveys in affected areas to identify vulnerable children and provide pre-emptive care.

Apart from Kerala and Maharashtra, a rise in number of measles cases has been reported from certain districts of Bihar, Gujarat, Haryana and Jharkhand.

Meanwhile, the Centre last week asked states to consider administering an additional dose of the vaccine to all children aged nine months to five years, in vulnerable areas.

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Notably, around 25 lakh infants, who were supposed to have received the measles vaccine in 2021, did not receive it.

with PTI inputs