Shillong, Sept 27: Meghalaya has reported 214 measles cases in 11 outbreaks till August this year, largely due to vaccination hesitancy and refusal, an official said.
“Sometimes they take only the first dose (of vaccination) and they miss the second. Especially in our community, they believe measles to be “Niang Blei” (we should not disturb the child). The immunity of the child will be low during that time and bacteria will take the opportunity to attack the child and mostly, children used to die due to pneumonia, diarrhea and fever,” said Dr Badira Mawlong, State Immunization Officer.
Dr Mawlong said that there is a taboo in the society and parents refuse to allow medical professionals to collect blood samples, if the child has fever and rashes.
She said that cases of blindness due to measles are also on the rise.
“We know that it is called “niang blei” but even than if the child is vaccinated, they wouldn’t get measles anymore and if they get also, they will get the mild ones, which will not kill the child,” Dr. Mawlong added.
She attributed the refusal to vaccination to ‘superstitious’ and ‘religious’ believes.
“But there are some people who also refuse without any reasons as they are scared of getting fever after taking vaccination,” she said.
NHM Director Ram Kumar said 90 per cent of the population have now accepted immunization. “We have improved our surveillance activities in the last one and half years, so the number of cases have also tripled up from 80 plus last year to 214 cases now,” he said.
