Earlier, the office had planned to start the vaccination drive from February. Dr Taranath Pokhrel, director at CHD, said that the postponement of the schedule will not affect the health of children as the vaccine can be administered to children up to two years old. [break]
The CHD said that the MR vaccine is meant for measles and rubella vaccine. "A single dose of vaccine will work for two diseases," added Dr Pokhrel. Rubella is an infection that affects the skin and lymph nodes. Doctors say Rubella in pregnant women can cause congenital rubella syndrome which have potentially devastating consequences in the development of babies.
Children who are infected with rubella before birth are at risk of mental retardation, malformations of the heart and eyes, deafness and liver, spleen, and bone marrow problems. Measles is also an infectious virus that spread through body fluids. Two doses of the vaccine are needed for complete immunization. Dr Pokhrel said that the CHD has not yet decided when to administer additional dose of vaccine.
"Probably we will administer additional dose after the children start schools," added Dr Pokhrel. He said that extensive survey is needed to know prevalence rate of disease to give second dose.
Giriraj Subedi, chief of immunization section at CHD, said that the MR vaccine will curb current infection rate of both measles and rubella virus. The CHD says that the cost of per dose of MR vaccine is double the standard measles vaccine. The ministry hopes to eliminate the disease by 2015.
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