Prof. Iqbal Memon recommends combined vaccination against Measles & Rubella

By AK Lodhi
KARACHI - Renowned Pediatrician  Prof Iqbal Memon urged the Extended Program on Immunization (EPI) Sindh officials to launch combine vaccination of Measles & Rubella (MR) in Sindh province to prevent infants from rubella related complications.
Prof Iqbal Memon said; German measles also known as congenital rubella syndrome (CRS) can occur in a developing fetus of a pregnant woman who has contracted rubella. He said congenital rubella is a condition that occurs in an infant whose mother is infected with the virus that causes German measles.

He said rubella occurs when the rubella virus in the mother affects the developing baby at a critical time during the pregnancy. He said pregnant women who are not vaccinated for rubella, risks infecting them-self and their unborn baby.

Prof Memon said; Rubella virus likely to harm the developing baby and increase the risk of contracting serious illnesses like disability, low birth weight and others. He said virus also increases the risk of miscarriage in infected women if they cannot get vaccination against the disease.

He said infection in mothers during pregnancy can be serious, if pregnant women could not be vaccinated against diseases. He said World Health Organization (WHO) also recommended that measles and rubella vaccination should be done as a combined campaign. He said measles & rubella is safe and effective.

He urged the EPI Sindh administration to launch combined measles & rubella vaccination across the Sindh province, to prevent infants from rubella related complications. He advised the parents to get their children vaccinated against infectious and deadly diseases at vaccination centers across the country.

He also suggested the Health Department Sindh to re-launch mass level second round of measles vaccination campaign throughout the province on the pattern of last year to further reduce the cases of measles and prevent babies from deaths that occur every year in the province.

In 2014, Approximately 13,269,690 children had been administrated measles vaccination in a twelve-day long campaign held across the Sindh province in the month of May.