The Delhi health state department is launching an 'over-and-above' measles and rubella vaccine programme from February 6 next year, senior officials said Saturday. Under this, a third dose of the vaccine against measles and rubella will be given to children between 9 months and five years of age. The vaccine will be available in dispensaries across the city and an outreach programme by anganwadi workers will also be conducted, who will provide door-to-door facility for the same. “This will be a third dose over and above the routine immunisation programme which we conduct. The move has been taken under the measles elimination programme which will end in December 2023,” said a senior official. The official added that the programme will be conducted for four weeks and later, a sweeping activity will also be conducted for those left out. “A number of measles and rubella cases have been reported in the capital in the last two years. We wanted to start this campaign in 2019 but due to the pandemic, we could not,” the official added.
