Four New Measles Cases Reported In Mumbai, One Suspected Death

Mumbai on Wednesday reported four new cases of measles, taking its tally of the viral disease to 531 cases, the city civic body said.

A nine-year-old "unimmunised" boy from Madanpura area in central Mumbai died on December 22, making him the latest suspected fatality of this disease. The death toll due to the viral disease since January 1 has reached nine, while six suspected measles fatalities are yet to be confirmed.

According to the release issued by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), a total of 23 children were admitted to city hospitals during the day, and the 26 others were discharged. The city hospitals have 437 total beds reserved for measles patients and of those only 101 were occupied, it said. Of the total 2,60,739 children in the age group of nine months to five years in 78 health posts, 87,879 children were given additional doses of measles-rubella special dose, the release said.

It further highlighted that of the total 5,293 children in the age group of six to nine months in 21 health posts, where the measles cases in the age group of less than nine months is more than 10 per cent of the total lab confirmed cases, 2128 were given zero dose of measles-rubella vaccine. The release said that the civic body has arranged mobile teams for vaccination of left out and dropout children at construction sites and nomadic sites from December 24, 2022. Maharashtra's measles tally surged to 1,177 cases (till December 27), while the death toll is at 24, as per the state health department report.

From December 15, the department has started a special drive for administering additional doses of measles and rubella to the children of age group between 9 months to five years, in a gap of 28 days. Its release said that 62,940 first doses and 61,527 doses of Measles and rubella have been administered to the children from the age group through 14,920 additional vaccination sessions under the special drive across the state.