Mumbai: On Wednesday, the central government recommended that measles vaccines be administered to children between 6 months and 5 years of age living in the affected areas. Usually, the measles vaccine is given to children over nine months of age. The government made this decision after the city reported an 8-month-old baby as one of the 13 victims of the ongoing measles outbreak in the financial capital.

The Niti Aayog-led Domain Knowledge Technical Experts recommended "zero dose" for children in the 6- to 9-month age bracket. However, they added that this recommendation will only be done in areas where children in this age group make up 10% of total measles patients.

On the other hand, the committee has decided to give an extra shot to children living in the hotspot who are aged between 9 months and 5 years. This extra booster shot will be provided irrespective of whether they have taken one or both measles shots as per the national immunization schedule.