A 9-month-old unvaccinated child is brought during a measles outbreak in the community. The mother reports that the child had contact with a confirmed measles case 5 days ago. Which of the following is the MOST appropriate intervention?

• A Administer measles vaccine immediately, as it is effective as post-exposure prophylaxis if given within 72 hours
• B Administer vitamin A only and observe for symptoms
• C Administer human normal immunoglobulin (HNIG) immediately, as the child is above 72 hours post-exposure
• D Administer measles vaccine immediately, as it can be effective if given within 7 days of exposure ✓

Explanation

Measles vaccine can be given as post-exposure prophylaxis if administered within 72 hours of exposure, but under outbreak settings in India, MR vaccine may be given to infants as young as 6 months and is considered effective up to 7 days post-exposure in some guidelines. However, the most widely accepted cutoff is 72 hours for vaccine. Since the exposure was 5 days ago (beyond 72 hours), HNIG (0.5 mL/kg, max 15 mL) is recommended for susceptible contacts under 6 months or immunocompromised. For a 9-month-old healthy child at day 5 post-exposure, HNIG is the correct answer per standard guidelines.

Reference: Park's Textbook of Preventive and Social Medicine, 27th ed.

High-yield for: NEET PGINI-CETNExTFMGEUSMLEPLABMRCP

Written and medically reviewed by the StethoPrep medical team.