Guwahati: The Assam health department on Monday said 40 lakh schoolchildren administered measles rubella (MR) vaccines so far reported no side effects and a few who were sick recently was because of anxiety owing to fear of taking injections.

"There is not a single case of adverse effects and all the children are fit and fine and there is no reason to worry about the vaccines," director of health services (family welfare) Mallika Medhi told The Telegraph here.

Another health official here said preliminary investigation into an incident in Hailakandi district in South Assam where 25 students of a madarsa reportedly fell sick on Saturday following MR vaccines was because of anxiety out of fear of vaccines and there was no problem with the vaccine quality.

"The quality of the MR vaccines has repeatedly been tested by the World Health Organisation and there is no reason to suspect it. Before the launch of the MR vaccination drive in Assam, over 8 crore children in eight states, including Manipur, Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh have been administered the same vaccine and there has been not a single case of side effects. So far, we have covered 62 per cent of our target group between nine months and 15 years. Children of this age group have been found to be prone to measles and rubella," the official said.

Measles can cause cornea-scarring blindness, encephalitis, pneumonia and diarrhoea while congenital rubella syndrome during pregnancy can result in spontaneous abortion, stillbirth and serious birth defects.

The measles-rubella vaccination launched worldwide aims to cover approximately 41 crore children and eliminate measles and control rubella/congenital rubella syndrome by 2020. Assam plans to vaccinate 1.1 crore children to protect them from measles and rubella.

Nearly 49,000 children die in India because of measles and rubella every year. The measles viral infection spreads via respiratory secretions. Medhi said anxiety-related reactions among children out of fear of injections could result in fainting, vomiting, light headedness, dizziness and even convulsions.

The assurance comes after some parents expressed apprehension about quality of the vaccines when at least 25 students of Sahabad ME Madrassa, around 25km from Hailakandi district, fell ill reportedly after being administered MR vaccines.