A city-wide vaccination drive arranged by the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) has come to a halt after 4 children fell sick post-vaccination with the MR-Vac vaccine for measles and rubella.

The incident occurred in the Old City area's Sultan Shahi school wherein the 4 children developed rashes, fever, and abdominal pain, and had to be rushed to a city hospital immediately, where they were kept under observation for 12 hours.

Though the exact cause for their ailment is still unknown, the parents of one child believe that the vaccine is responsible for the incident, even though the child already had sore throat before he was given the shot.

The Vaccine is Not Responsible, Says GHMC

A total number of 6,13,523 children have been administered the MR-VAC shot till 22nd of August this year, and not one child has fallen sick.

That's why the officials at GHMC are firm that the vaccine is not responsible for the recent incidence.

In fact, the GHMC Commissioner, B. Janardhan Reddy, has even come forward and warned the public not to believe false whatsapp videos and messages that discourage vaccination.

Drive to Eradicate Measles and Rubella

The GHMC vaccination drive is targeting schools because their ultimate aim is to eradicate measles and rubella from the city just like the Pulse Polio drive eradicated polio from India.

Unfortunately, the general population is still very wary of vaccinations (mainly because of superstitions and anti-science campaigns), which is why 164 schools refused to be a part of the drive even before this isolated incidence occurred in the Sultan Shahi school.

And given the basic temperament of the public, this number might go up now.

The Dire Need For Vaccination

The infant mortality rate in India might be lesser than what it used to be decades ago, but the problem is still a big one.

Why?

Because newborns have little to no immunity when they are born.

And though this immune-deficient state is improved slightly over the next 6 months as they feed on their mother's breast milk, it is not enough to protect them from the host of bacteria, viruses, and microbes that are present all around us.

That's where vaccines come in.

A vaccine is a small shot of highly potent formula that trains inexperienced immune systems to identify dangerous microorganisms and destroy them before they can cause serious illnesses in the individual.

So while it may seem easy to ignore vaccination drives and advertisements that call you to get your child vaccinated, know that it might one day cost you your child's life.

That's why we at Boldsky have come up with the following myth-busting infographic to soothe all your fears about vaccines.