Media professionals discussed vaccine hesitancy and misinformation around measles and rubella, at a workshop on the role of media in creating awareness on routine immunization and measles and rubella vaccination.
The two-day media workshop was organized by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in partnership with UNICEF, in the backdrop of rising measles cases reported from Bihar, Gujarat, Haryana, Jharkhand, and Maharashtra. Dr Veena Dhawan, Additional Commissioner (Immunization) in the ministry, apprised the participants on the symptoms of measles, and prevention and cure of the life-threatening disease. She asked them address vaccine hesitancy and counter misinformation and cultural myths around measles.
“Media’s role in supporting elimination of measles is critical. We need to come together to educate communities and encourage them to get their children immunized for measles as well as for all vaccines covered under the Universal Immunization Programme,” she said.
Dr Ashish Chauhan, Health Specialist, UNICEF India, said there was an urgent need to plan towards increasing the uptake of vaccination through social mobilization and addressing vaccine hesitancy.
