In measles hotspots, the minimum age for vaccination has been reduced, and a booster has been introduced

Even as an 8-month-old kid became the 13th casualty of the current measles epidemic in Greater Mumbai on Wednesday, the Union government advised youngsters aged 6 months to 5 years to have a measles vaccination injection.
While the measles vaccination is typically administered to infants over the age of nine months, the epidemic in numerous states, including Maharashtra, has prompted the Niti Aayog-led Domain Knowledge Technical Experts to advocate a “zero dosage” for children aged six to nine months. This, however, will only be done in areas where children of this age account for around 10% of total measles patients.Other children (in the ‘9 months to 5 years’ age group) living in hotspots will be given an additional injection, regardless of whether they have had one or both measles vaccines according to the national immunisation schedule.
According to Maharashtra public health secretary Sanjay Khandare, the state health department would now develop a thorough immunisation strategy based on the central suggestion.
Dr. Sanjeev Kumar, assistant municipal commissioner of the BMC, stated that the BMC will ramp up its reaction to execute the government instructions. According to the Union Health Ministry, the particular push is necessary since measles cases spike between November and March. It has also advised that malnourished children be monitored since they are more prone to measles.
Also, according to a BMC update sent on Wednesday, an eight-month-old boy from Bhiwandi who was taken to a civic hospital in Mumbai on Tuesday died on Wednesday. In Mumbai, the number of breakouts has risen to 22 across 11 wards. Thirty new patients were admitted to civic hospitals.
Measles requires 90-95% vaccination coverage, according to Dr Naveen Thacker, president-elect of the International Pediatrics Association.
Influenza (Flu) and COVID-19 are both extremely infectious respiratory infections caused by two distinct viruses. The SARS-CoV-2 virus causes COVID-19, while the influenza virus causes flu. Both are spread in similar ways, via droplets or small virus particles. Because both viruses have similar symptoms that range from no symptoms (asymptomatic) to severe symptoms, distinguishing between the two may be difficult based solely on symptoms.Fever, cough, shortness of breath, sore throat, and muscular soreness are some of the most prevalent symptoms. Vaccine-preventable illness levels have reached or are approaching historic lows. Even though most infants and toddlers have received all recommended vaccines by the age of two, many under-immunized children remain, raising the risk of disease outbreaks.