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Tag: pneumococcal conjugate vaccine

  • Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine expanded nationwide under Centre’s immunisation programme

    Express News Service

    NEW DELHI: The Centre on Friday launched the nationwide expansion of Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine under the Universal Immunization Programme with an aim to reduce under 5 mortalities caused due to pneumonia.

    Thus far, the PCV vaccine through government hospitals was available only in five states — Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh.

    Two states, Haryana and Goa, on the other hand, were offering the PCV vaccine as part of the UIP from the state government kitties.

    This vaccine is offered in three doses at 1.5 months, 3.5 months and 9 months.

    In India, nearly 8.5 lakh kids under the age of 5 die every year of which 16 % of deaths are estimated to be caused due to various forms of pneumonia and nearly a half of these pneumonia mortalities are related to pneumococcus bacteria. There are, however, some other vaccine-preventable infections too, that lead to pneumonia in kids. 

    While launching the nationwide expansion of the vaccine, Union health minister Mansukh Mandviya said that pneumonia caused by pneumococcus is the most common cause of severe pneumonia in children.

    “In India, around 16% of deaths in children occur due to pneumonia. The nationwide rollout of PCV will reduce child mortality by around 60%”, said the minister.

    Under the Union government’s UIP, 12 types of immunisation are offered free of cost against several vaccine-preventable diseases targeting close to 26.7 million newborns and 29 million pregnant women annually.

    The diseases against which the inoculation is offered include diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, polio, measles, rubella, a severe form of childhood tuberculosis, rotavirus diarrhoea, hepatitis b and meningitis and pneumonia caused by haemophilus influenza type B.

    “Sub-nationally the immunization is available against 2 diseases – pneumococcal pneumonia and Japanese Encephalitis; of which PCV is being nationally expanded today, while JE vaccine is provided only in endemic districts,” said an official.

  • Pneumococcal conjugate vaccine will be administered to protect young children from pneumococcal disease

    Pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) is being included in the regular vaccination program to protect children from pneumococcal disease. This will help protect children from pneumonia and brain infections, which are diseases caused by pneumococcus bacteria. A meeting of the District Level Task Force was held today under the chairmanship of Collector and District Health Committee President Shri Shiv Anant Tayal. The Collector said that the help of Anganwadi workers would be taken for vaccination. In the meeting held in the Collectorate meeting, the Chief Medical and Health Officer of the district, Dr. SK Sharma told that a target has been set to immunize 1500 children in the district. He stated that pneumonia is a major cause of death of children below 5 years which can be due to many reasons. Pneumococcus is the main cause of pneumonia caused by bacteria. PCV to their children Get three vaccines, first vaccine in one and a half months, second vaccine at three and a half months and booster vaccine at 9 months. Make sure your child has PCV for protection against disease. Do not miss any dose of. Dr. Sharma told that PCV. There is a safe vaccine, just like other vaccines, it can also cause mild fever or redness at the place of the vaccine after vaccination to your children.
    It was told in the meeting that it is a respiratory infection caused by pneumonia, which can cause inflammation in the lungs. It is difficult to breathe and lacks oxygen in the body. P.C.V. Vaccination will help prevent diseases and death caused by pneumococcus in children. Children younger than two years are at risk of serious pneumococcal disease, but the greatest risk is in children younger than one year. Vaccination can be avoided.
    District Immunization Officer Dr. Sharad Kohade while giving detailed information through computer based presentation said that PCV. The vaccine will be administered free of cost to children in all government hospitals, dispensaries, primary health centres, community health centers and vaccination sessions under the routine immunization programme. At the meeting, District Panchayat Chief Executive Officer, Mrs. Rita Yadav, District Program Officer for Women and Child Development, Mr. Bidyadhar Patel, Chief Municipality Officer Mr. Hori Singh Thakur, District Program Manager Mrs. Anupama Tiwari, Project Officer of Women and Child Development Department and Block Medicine Officers (BMOs) were present.