Profile of adverse events following immunization with measles rubella vaccine at a tertiary care hospital in East Delhi, India

BACKGROUND: As a part of a measles and rubella (MR) campaign, the MR vaccine replaced the two-dose measles vaccine at 9–12 months and 16–24 months of age under the Universal Immunization Program (UIP). Although adverse events following immunization (AEFIs) following the measles and MMR vaccine at 9 months of age have been studied, AEFIs following the MR vaccine at 9 months of age have not been studied. As the MR vaccine a is very recent introduction in the UIP for routine immunization at 9 months of age, we intend to investigate the AEFI profile of MR vaccination at 9 months of age by active surveillance. AIM: We aimed to study the profile of the AEFIs with MR vaccine at 9-12 months of age in children vaccinated at the immunization clinic at the Pediatrics Department of a tertiary care hospital in East Delhi, India. METHODS: Our study was a prospective observational study (telephonic survey). Children who attended Pediatrics OPD for the first dose of the MR vaccine at 9–12 months of age were enrolled in the study. Demographic details of the children who received the first dose of MR vaccine at 9–12 months of age at the immunization clinic of the hospital were recorded in a case record form. A telephone survey was conducted on day 7 and day 30 post-vaccination for AEFIs. RESULT: A total of 278 children were enrolled in the study, but 7 were unavailable for the further telephone survey. A total of 42 (15.5%) AEFIs were reported, of which 39 (94%) were in the initial 7 days and 3 (6%) were in the following 21 days following immunization. Of the AEFIs reported, the most common symptom was fever (38%), followed by upper respiratory tract infection (30.9%), local swelling at injection site (26.1%), and skin rash (4%). CONCLUSION: MR vaccine introduced in National Immunization Schedule is found to be safe for use in children except for a few minor reactions.