CHANGING EPIDEMIOLOGY OF VIRAL EXANTHEMS IN INDIA : MEASLES, RUBELLA AND PARVOVIRUS B19 AFTER COVID-19 VACCINATION ERA

ABSTRACT The epidemiology of viral exanthems in India—particularly measles, rubella, and parvovirus B19—has undergone notable shifts in the post-COVID-19 vaccination era. Pandemic-related disruptions in routine immunization programs, reduced healthcare access, and prolonged school closures initially led to immunity gaps in young children, increasing vulnerability to measles and rubella outbreaks once social mixing resumed. At the same time, intensified national efforts toward measles–rubella elimination, alongside strengthened surveillance systems developed during COVID-19, have improved case detection and outbreak response. Parvovirus B19, though less influenced by vaccination programs, has shown fluctuating transmission patterns linked to changes in population mobility and health-seeking behavior. Overall, the post-pandemic landscape reflects a complex interplay of improved public-health capacities, lingering immunity deficits, and evolving viral circulation, underscoring the need for sustained high vaccination coverage and robust surveillance to prevent resurgence of these exanthematous infections.