On Friday, the Health Minister of Kerala, Veena George, introduced the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV). The vaccine will provide immunity to children from meningitis and pneumonia caused by Streptococcus pneumonia bacteria. The free-vaccination drive was launched under the Universal Immunization Programme (UIP).
Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine (PCV)
Pneumonia is one of the significant causes of death among children below the age of five. Around one lakh infants die in the country due to pneumonia infection.
Pneumonia is hard to treat, and the treatment is expensive. PCV aims to provide immunity to kids from the streptococcus bacteria and will protect young children from meningitis, pneumonia and blood infections caused by the bacteria.
Children are supposed to take three doses of the vaccine. Health officials usually provide the first dose when the child is one and a half months old and other vaccines.
Children receive the second and third doses at three months and nine months, respectively. The maximum age for the injection of the first dose is one year.
The vaccine has been available in the private health sector for a long time. The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare introduced this vaccine under the UIP framework for the first time in May 2017 in Bihar, Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, UP and Rajasthan.
The free-vaccination drive also aims to address vaccine inequity in Kerala since only paediatricians in the private sector used to prescribe PCV in the state.
The Vaccine will be Available from the next Immunization day- Health Minister
On Friday, Veena George launched the state-level anti-pneumonia vaccine program at the Women and Children’s Hospital at Thycaud in the district of Thiruvananthapuram.
She informed that the government would start vaccination in the districts beginning from the next immunization day at the launch.
“The vaccine is effective against pneumococcal diseases in children and has been included as part of the Universal Immunization Programme as per the direction of the Union Health Ministry. This vaccine will be available in the districts from the next immunization day,” the minister said.
She also added that the government would provide vaccines for free for all children below the age of one in the state.
Noting the influence of streptococcus pneumonia on the high child mortality rate, she urged people to vaccinate their children as soon as possible.
Targets to Deliver Vaccines to 4.8 lakh Children in a Year
The health minister informed that they had procured 55,000 vaccines so far, and it has been distributed among the 14 districts.
Under the Universal Immunization Programme framework, the state government aims to deliver the vaccine to 40,000 children in the first month and 4.8 lakh children in the first year.
The Health Department has already procured the doses required for the first month. The Ministry will conduct the free-vaccination drive at government vaccination centres.
Veena George also added that the training of medical officers and health workers had been completed in the state.
She appreciated the efforts taken by the staff of the Health Ministry. Under the UIP framework, Kerala currently administers vaccines for polio, tetanus, tuberculosis, Rotavirus, Measles-Rubella etc.
The National Technical Advisory Group of Immunization had earlier recommended including PCV in the Universal Immunization Programme in all Indian states.
