This vaccine will protect children from many diseases like pneumonia, meningitis, septicemia, sinusitis, otitis media (ear infection) caused by pneumococcal bacteria. Babies will be given three doses at the age of six weeks, 14 weeks and nine months. This vaccine, which is taken in three doses, is available in the market at very expensive prices. Health Minister TS Singhdev today launched PCV vaccination in the state under the routine immunization program in a virtual program.
This vaccine will protect children from many diseases like pneumonia, meningitis, septicemia, sinusitis, otitis media (ear infection) caused by pneumococcal bacteria. Babies will be given three doses at the age of six weeks, 14 weeks and nine months. This vaccine, which is taken in three doses, is available in the market at very expensive prices. Health Minister TS Singhdeo today launched PCV vaccination in the state under the routine vaccination program in a virtual program. While addressing the Chief Medical and Health Officers of all the districts and field staff of the department in the program, the Health Minister said that pneumococcal conjugate vaccine The inclusion of Pneumococcus in routine immunization will protect children up to five years of age from diseases caused by pneumococcal bacteria. This will also help in reducing child mortality rate in the state. He said that due to the availability of PCV at an expensive rate, its reach to the common people was limited. Now by joining the routine immunization, it will be provided free of cost to all children.
Singhdeo in his address said that 13 per cent of the children who die under the age of five in the country suffer from pneumonia. Even 15 percent of these children die of pneumococcal pneumonia. He said that in the year 2010, one lakh five thousand children and in 2015 53 thousand children died due to pneumococcal pneumonia.
Singhdeo asked the health department officials to take PCV to maximum number of babies. He also asked the parents of the newborns to be made aware about this so that they can get the prescribed dosage according to the age of the child.
Director of Health and Family Welfare Department, Dr. Priyanka Shukla said in the inaugural program that children up to five years of age are most affected by pneumococcal bacteria. PCV will help in keeping these children safe. He said that in the districts with high risk of Japanese encephalitis in the state, vaccine to prevent it has also been included in the routine immunization program. Dr. Shukla informed that despite the corona epidemic, 94 percent children of the state have been vaccinated under the regular vaccination program in the last financial year 2020-21. Patting the back of all the Chief Medical and Health Officers and field staff, he said that they are doing good work even in difficult times. He also asked to ensure that new vaccines reach as many children as possible.
State Immunization Officer Dr. Amar Singh Thakur informed the officials of all the districts about the use, effect and precautions of pneumococcal conjugate vaccine in the program. He told that the target is to reach this vaccine to about six lakh 33 thousand children in the state every year. In the year 2017, this vaccine was started in five states in a phased manner in India. Now it is being expanded throughout the country by including it in the regular vaccination program.