When we were children, some 20 years ago; measles or Khasra was not seen as some deadly disease. Especially among common folk.

As soon as a mother saw the measles symptoms on her child; she simply used to confine the kid inside the house, Wrap the kid in thick blankets, gave him/her "roasted potato and Pearl", and made the kid sleep outside in the Sun, completely wrapped in blanket. The idea is to hasten the life cycle of the measles virus.

All this while, the grand-mother type ladies used to sermon: Measles will make the kid stronger, immunity-wise for the rest of his/her life.

Many of us, who had to undergo the tough days on Measles infection; still boast of our immunities' toughness.

But then in late nineties and early 2000s, the Indian Government started Measles immunization programme in India.

According to a new study by the World Health Organization and others, which the Associated Press has reported yesterday, the Measles Deaths have Dropped in India.

The number of measles deaths worldwide “has apparently dropped by about three-quarters over a decade. Most of the deaths were in India and Africa, where not enough children are being immunized,” the reports says.

Health officials estimate that about 9.6 million children were saved from dying of measles from 2000 to 2010 after big vaccination campaigns were rolled out more than a decade ago, the report says. “Researchers guessed that the number of deaths fell during that time period to about 139,300 from 535,300, or about 74 percent.”

Despite the decline, the progress fails to meet a W.H.O. target to cut measles deaths by 90 percent by 2010.

Of late we are immunizing our kids for almost every diseases. The diseases, which people wisdom, thought as a part of growing up and many a times essential for boosting a child's immunity as an adult.

The latest trend of comprehensive immunization, only time will approve. That too in at least two or three decades.
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