NEW DELHI: The centre on Thursday launched a nationwide elimination campaign of measles and rubella, two highly infectious viral diseases that can lead to serious illnesses, lifelong complications, and even death. Launching the National Zero Measles-Rubella Elimination Campaign on World Immunisation Week, Union Health Minister J P Nadda said that from January 2025 to March 2025, 332 districts reported zero measles cases, while 487 districts had no rubella cases. India aims to eliminate the two viral diseases by 2026.“Today is a momentous occasion as the launch of the measles-rubella elimination campaign 2025-26 marks an opportunity to achieve 100% immunization coverage to provide a high-quality lifestyle to children by administering them with the two doses of measles and rubella vaccine,” Nadda said as he launched the campaign virtually on the first day of the World Immunization Week, which is observed from April 24-30.Noting that the disease is of a highly contagious nature that hampers not only children’s lives but also causes misery to their parents, he underlined the importance of ensuring that not even a single child is left behind. “We have to target the elimination of M-R in the same way as polio and maternal and neonatal tetanus elimination was achieved,” he said, and urged the states and UTs to be attentive, alert, and proactive and work with an ‘Act Now’ policy.He also urged the state health ministers and chief medical officers to hold public and press meetings where people at large can be informed about the vaccination drive through active Jan Bhagidari.The minister also called upon states to include all MLAs, MPs, local officials, and Panchayat heads in spreading awareness about the vaccination against M-R. Nadda also urged the frontline workers to reach out to remote and hard-to-reach areas, slums, migratory populations, and areas with frequent outbreaks. “We have to reach out to people in the last mile to ensure that we achieve 100% coverage. If we work and act from today, we will be able to achieve success tomorrow,” he said, as he released multi-language Information, Education, and Communication materials related to Measles and Rubella (M-R-IEC) vaccination materials, which included posters, radio jingles, MR elimination and official U-WIN launch film for creating awareness in the communities.The IEC materials were also shared with all states/UTs for adaptation and rollout during the M-R Elimination Campaign 2025-26.He congratulated the ministry on being recognised with the prestigious Measles and Rubella Champion Award by the Measles and Rubella Partnership in 2024 and emphasised the need for coordinating with line ministries. Under the Universal Immunisation Programme (UIP), two doses of the M-R vaccine are free of cost to all eligible children between the ages of 9 and 12 and 16 and 24, respectively.Currently, India’s MR vaccination coverage stands at 93.7% for the first dose (2024-25 HMIS data) and 92.2% for the second dose. According to health ministry officials, in 2024, India recorded a remarkable decline of 73% in Measles cases and a 17% reduction in Rubella cases compared with 2023. India plans to eliminate measles and rubella and is taking various steps, including achieving and maintaining high population immunity with more than 95% vaccination coverage with two doses of measles and rubella-containing vaccines in each district.India plans to do so by sustaining a sensitive and timely case-based surveillance system for M-R; ensuring adequate preparedness and timely response to measles and rubella outbreaks; strengthening support and linkages to achieve these strategic objectives and launching focused mass awareness campaigns to mitigate the risks of non-vaccination and dispel myths related to MR vaccine for addressing vaccine hesitancy and increasing coverage. Under the Universal Immunisation Programme (UIP), India runs the world’s largest vaccination programme for pregnant women and children, reaching 2.9 crore pregnant women and 2.6 crore newborns annually. This provides protection against 12 vaccine-preventable diseases (VPDs), such as Polio, Measles, Rubella, Diphtheria, Tetanus, Rotavirus diarrhoea, and Hepatitis B, among others. Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the U-WIN digital platform for vaccination, which is being extensively used to record vaccination events, generate vaccination certificates, and book vaccination appointments across the country. India’s UIP has been instrumental in reducing mortality rates and controlling infectious diseases among children under five years of age. From 2014 to 2020, under-5 mortality rates dropped from 45 to 32 per 1,000 live births (Sample Registration System – 2020). Since 2014, under UIP, over six new vaccines have been introduced, including the MR vaccine, the ministry said.
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