BANGALORE: About 23% children below the age of 5 years die in India every year due to pneumonia, globally this figure stands at 18%. It was a belief that diarrhea is the most deadly disease in India, which kills about 14% children below age of 5 every year.
There is a ray of hope to save children now as the Karnataka government has enrolled Universal Immunization Programme (UIP), whereby about 12 lakh new born babies will be administered withPentavalent vaccine providing protection against Hib diseases, source of pneumonia.
The vaccine has been administered by the private practitioners in India for over a decade now. The pentavalent vaccine, which prevents killer diseases in children like diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, hepatitis-B and Influenza-B has been incorporated into UIP in Karnataka from March 17, 2013. The programme was first initiated in Tamil Nadu and Kerala in 2011. The vaccine will now be a single injection providing protection against Hib diseases and will replace earlier used DPT and hepatitis-B injections.
Explaining the importance of pentavalent vaccine, Dr Swarna Rekha Bhat, professor and HOD, neonatology, St. John's Medical College said: "There are 6 types of Hib, of which, Type-B is the most common and causes pneumonia and meningitis. Even healthy children could be carrying these bacteria on their body. A study conducted in 2009 found that about 11% health children harbouring these bacteria. If pentavalent vaccine is administered on new born children it will prevent them from Hib and thereby bring down infant mortality rate (IMR)."
"Every year about 12 lakh new born infants in Karnataka would be given three doses of the vaccine at 6, 10 and 14 weeks of age. All Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs), tertiary care hospitals and general hospitals run by the state government have been stocked up with the vaccination," said Dr Geetha Nyamgoudar, project director- RCH, Karnataka.
M Madan Gopal, principal secretary, health and family welfare department, Karnataka said: "The programme will ensure in bringing down the IMR in Karnataka. Adverse effect of this vaccination is about 0.001% and in some cases adverse effects are inevitable. But, this should be the only reason to stop the programme. This vaccine is not launched overnight. Research has been done and the government staff has been trained to administer the vaccine, so that adverse effects can be minimized."
There is a ray of hope to save children now as the Karnataka government has enrolled Universal Immunization Programme (UIP), whereby about 12 lakh new born babies will be administered withPentavalent vaccine providing protection against Hib diseases, source of pneumonia.
The vaccine has been administered by the private practitioners in India for over a decade now. The pentavalent vaccine, which prevents killer diseases in children like diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, hepatitis-B and Influenza-B has been incorporated into UIP in Karnataka from March 17, 2013. The programme was first initiated in Tamil Nadu and Kerala in 2011. The vaccine will now be a single injection providing protection against Hib diseases and will replace earlier used DPT and hepatitis-B injections.
Explaining the importance of pentavalent vaccine, Dr Swarna Rekha Bhat, professor and HOD, neonatology, St. John's Medical College said: "There are 6 types of Hib, of which, Type-B is the most common and causes pneumonia and meningitis. Even healthy children could be carrying these bacteria on their body. A study conducted in 2009 found that about 11% health children harbouring these bacteria. If pentavalent vaccine is administered on new born children it will prevent them from Hib and thereby bring down infant mortality rate (IMR)."
"Every year about 12 lakh new born infants in Karnataka would be given three doses of the vaccine at 6, 10 and 14 weeks of age. All Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs), tertiary care hospitals and general hospitals run by the state government have been stocked up with the vaccination," said Dr Geetha Nyamgoudar, project director- RCH, Karnataka.
M Madan Gopal, principal secretary, health and family welfare department, Karnataka said: "The programme will ensure in bringing down the IMR in Karnataka. Adverse effect of this vaccination is about 0.001% and in some cases adverse effects are inevitable. But, this should be the only reason to stop the programme. This vaccine is not launched overnight. Research has been done and the government staff has been trained to administer the vaccine, so that adverse effects can be minimized."
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