Indore sees 47 cases of measles in 1 month, 83% patients unvaccinated

At least 47 cases of measles have been detected in Madhya Pradesh's Indore in the last one month and 83 per cent of the infected persons had not been vaccinated, an official said on Monday.

The administration has received reports of 47 cases of measles in one month, and the affected persons range from a six-month-old baby to a 19-year-old man, district immunisation officer Dr Tarun Gupta told PTI.

Of the infected people, only eight had taken the first dose of measles vaccine, while the remaining 39 were unvaccinated, he said.

The health department is conducting a survey and vaccination drives in the measles affected areas of the district, he said.

"There are still misconceptions about the measles vaccine among the public. We are also roping in politicians and religious leaders to create awareness among people about getting children vaccinated against the disease," the official said.

An 11-year-old boy, who contracted measles while undergoing treatment for brain fever in Indore city, died on February 14 and this was the first casualty of a child because of the disease in the state this year, officials said.

The boy, who belonged to a middle-class family, was not vaccinated against the disease and doctors could not save his life as he had multiple health problems, they said.

The Centre government has set a target to make the country measles-free by the end of this year.