Government urges parents to vaccinate children against rubella, measles

KATHMANDU: The Ministry of Health and Population has urged all parents to take their children to the nearest health facility for vaccination against rubella and measles.

Children at nine months should be administered vaccines against rubella and measles while the second dose should be given in the 15th month.

The Ministry appealed to the parents for the vaccine in the wake of the outbreak of rubella and measles cases reported among children in Nepalgunj.

Experts say that if the double dose of vaccine is administered, its effectiveness remains at 97 per cent.

A total of 90 cases of measles were reported among children in Nepalgunj Sub-Metropolitan City recently while an infant is reported dead due to the infection, the Ministry said.

The Ministry has launched vaccination drives in the areas where measles cases were reported. So far, the measles vaccine has been administered in 3,000 children in the affected areas, the Ministry said. RSS