Odisha health officials on alert as measles resurfaces
BHUBANESWAR: Nearly six months after the measles outbreak in Nabarangpur district, several more cases have resurfaced in different districts putting health officials on high alert.
Sources said districts of Kandhamal, Ganjam and Puri have reported more than 50 measles cases, primarily affecting children in clusters and raising concerns about a potential outbreak. The affected areas in Patiguda village of Kandhamal district has been put under containment after more than 30 children were affected. While most of the children have recovered, five are undergoing treatment.
Director of public health Dr Nilakantha Mishra has visited affected pockets to assess the situation after receiving reports of measles spreading in Patiguda and its adjacent Sorda area in Ganjam.
“The samples collected from infected persons tested positive. We are following the containment strategies to prevent spread of the infection to nearby areas. The situation is under control as many of the affected children have recovered,” he told mediapersons.
Stating that the vaccination drive under intensified Mission Indradhanush (IMI) 5.0 drive is going on across the state, Dr Mishra attributed the spike in measles cases to waning immunity among children in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic. “The immunity level has gone down after the pandemic which might have helped measles resurface,” he said.
Health experts said many families missed their children’s vaccination schedule during the pandemic. This gap has resulted in a pool of unvaccinated or partially vaccinated children.