Measles outbreak: 3-member team visits affected areas, recommends tracking, vaccination of left out children

Till October, the city recorded several cases of measles from the slum pockets in Dharavi, Govandi, Kurla, Mahim, Bandra and Matunga. So far, four deaths associated with measles were reported. One died early in October, while three children Hasnain (5), Noorain (3.5) and Fazal khan (13 months old) – all residents of Rafi Nagar in Govandi – died within 48 hours between October 26-27. Two of the deaths are still under review by the civic death committee for confirmation of the cause of death.

According to BMC, between September and October, 84 cases of measles were reported. Most of the cases are from the M-East ward that covers Govandi. The suspected patients during the survey have been administered Vitamin A. A total of 69,218 houses were surveyed and 130 children were vaccinated in a special immunisation drive.

The three-member team visited the areas a day before a central team is scheduled to land in Mumbai for an investigation into the deaths. The Union Health Ministry has deputed a high-level multi-disciplinary team to take stock of the upsurge of cases in the city, which is likely to visit Mumbai on Friday.

“The deceased children were not fully immunised, which made them susceptible to the infection. So, instruction has been provided to track back all these children,’ said a member of the team.

Measles is a highly contagious viral disease, which mostly affects children. It is one of the leading causes of death and disability among young children. The National Immunisation Programme specifies that the vaccine must be administered twice at 9 and 15 months of age.

Dr Ajit Gajendragadkar, Consultant, Paediatrics, P D Hinduja Hospital said, “Measles is a highly contagious disease that is preventable through vaccination. To contain and control the outbreak, it is crucial that cases are quickly identified and isolated and that contacts and other susceptible children are immunised.” He also highlighted that the immunisation gap recorded during the Covid-19 pandemic may have also contributed to the higher dropout rate.

The healthcare workers said that vaccination in the slums, especially in Govandi— one of the peripheral areas located close to the Deonar dumping ground— is an uphill task due to vaccine hesitancy and negligence.

Fatima Ahmed Khan, an ASHA worker, said that most of the population in the slum are migrants, who report multiple births. The deceased, Hasnain and Noorain, were the 8th and 9th children and their mother Sherunisha Khan is pregnant with the 10th child. “Even after persuasion, they don’t vaccinate their children. Due to repeat pregnancies, the mothers also fall sick whose priority changes into feeding so many children rather than vaccination,” she said.

A BMC official said the family procured their death certificates from a local physician, who mentioned anaemia as the cause of death. Later, an autopsy revealed that the deceased siblings had rashes on their bodies.

Lack of basic services such as clean drinking water, access to toilets and hospitals are major health challenges in the area.

Apnalaya, an NGO that works with the BMC in Govandi also expressed challenges in dealing with the reluctance towards vaccination in the community. “However, it is important to understand the reasons for this reluctance, and the context of the living conditions in the area. This suspected outbreak calls for deeper engagement with the community on the importance of vaccines,” said Praveen Singh, CEO of Apnalaya.