A visiting Central Government team headed by deputy commissioner of union health department gave clean chit to ongoing MR (measles -Rubella) vaccination process in Gujarat. Following death of four children post MR vaccination, the State Government had written a letter to the Centre to send a team of expert for clinical assessment in the matter. Responding to the State Government’s request, the team headed by deputy commissioner immunisation Pradeep Haldar visited the four districts for the investigation. According to Haldar the reasons of the deaths were viral infections in three cases and in one case a child died due to drug reaction. He said that the vaccination was approved by World Health Organization (WHO) and it was being given to children across the globe.

“The death of four children recorded 30 to 115 hours after they were given MR vaccination. If there was any anomaly, they would have affected within an hour. Knowing the fact generally children are kept under observation for 30 to 45 minutes post vaccination,” he said, adding that not only in Gujarat but nationally 14 deaths registered post vaccination. But investigation revealed that the deaths were not due to the vaccination, but some other reasons. The MR vaccination project initiated in February 7, 2017 and it would be completed by April 2019. Already vaccination work in 17 states had been completed and in four states including Gujarat, Haryana, Punjab and Andaman & Nicobar Islands it is going on. Against the target of vaccinating 41 crore children across the nation, already 9.62 crore covered.

In Gujarat 61 lakh children were given MR vaccination. The campaign was inaugurated by chief minister Vijay Rupani on July 16, 2018 with an am  to eliminate Measles an control congenital Rubella syndrome by the year 2020 in Gujarat.

In this campaign around 1.6 crore children aged between 9 months to 15 years will be vaccinated.