NEW DELHI: After years of discussion and a recent promise to Bill Gates, India is now rolling out the country's first pentavalent vaccine. The Union health ministry has written to the governments of Tamil Nadu and Kerala — the two states where the
five-in-one vaccine will be
first introduced, because of
their high routine
immunization coverage rate, to put in place manpower, train them and also finalise the
implementation plan.
The ministry has also sent a
letter to the Global Alliance
for Vaccines and Immunisation (GAVI) asking them to dispatch the vaccine doses at the earliest.
GAVI, which is providing the vaccines free of cost to the ministry for the time being, has asked UNICEF to procure the vaccines and send them to India.
India plans to vaccinate 16
lakh children in these two
states in the first year. The
five-in-one vaccine will have
diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus (DPT), Hepatitis B and HIB (Haemophilus influenzae type
B -- the bacterial
microorganism that causes
several serious childhood
illnesses like meningitis and
pneumonia).
Besides this shot, children will also get their oral polio doses as part of the routine immunization rounds.
"We are bringing to India the
liquid pentavalent vaccine
which are readymade. It will
be a 10-dose package which
will prove cheaper since it will
require less storage space, lesser volume of cold chain
and reduced transportation
cost.
All children attending the
routine immunisation rounds
will get the pentavalent shot
at 6, 10 and 14 weeks. For the first year, we will require
over 50 lakh doses. The
vaccine vials will reach us by
the end of June and the
vaccine use will be rolled out
immediately after that," a ministry official said.
"HIB will prevent pneumonia
in children. In the under five
mortality, 20% are caused by
pneumonia. And one-third of
the pneumonia mortality is
caused by HIB," the official added.
The health ministry had
initially thought of
introducing pentavalent in 10
states, including Himachal
Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir
and Karnataka. However, the vaccine's cost made the
ministry start with just two
states.
The introduction of a
pentavalent vaccine was
recommended by the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (NTAGI) on June 16, 2008.
five-in-one vaccine will be
first introduced, because of
their high routine
immunization coverage rate, to put in place manpower, train them and also finalise the
implementation plan.
The ministry has also sent a
letter to the Global Alliance
for Vaccines and Immunisation (GAVI) asking them to dispatch the vaccine doses at the earliest.
GAVI, which is providing the vaccines free of cost to the ministry for the time being, has asked UNICEF to procure the vaccines and send them to India.
India plans to vaccinate 16
lakh children in these two
states in the first year. The
five-in-one vaccine will have
diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus (DPT), Hepatitis B and HIB (Haemophilus influenzae type
B -- the bacterial
microorganism that causes
several serious childhood
illnesses like meningitis and
pneumonia).
Besides this shot, children will also get their oral polio doses as part of the routine immunization rounds.
"We are bringing to India the
liquid pentavalent vaccine
which are readymade. It will
be a 10-dose package which
will prove cheaper since it will
require less storage space, lesser volume of cold chain
and reduced transportation
cost.
All children attending the
routine immunisation rounds
will get the pentavalent shot
at 6, 10 and 14 weeks. For the first year, we will require
over 50 lakh doses. The
vaccine vials will reach us by
the end of June and the
vaccine use will be rolled out
immediately after that," a ministry official said.
"HIB will prevent pneumonia
in children. In the under five
mortality, 20% are caused by
pneumonia. And one-third of
the pneumonia mortality is
caused by HIB," the official added.
The health ministry had
initially thought of
introducing pentavalent in 10
states, including Himachal
Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir
and Karnataka. However, the vaccine's cost made the
ministry start with just two
states.
The introduction of a
pentavalent vaccine was
recommended by the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (NTAGI) on June 16, 2008.
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