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.