Rajasthan is all set to introduce pentavalent vaccine under the routine immunisation plan from November 1.
As many as 16 lakh children in the State will receive the vaccine which will protect them from five life threatening diseases like diptheria, tetanus, pertussis, hepatitis B and Hib.
DPT (diphtheria, pertussis and tetanus) and hepatitis B are already part of routine immunisatin in India. Hib vaccine is a new addition. The combination is together called pentavalent. Hib vaccine can prevent diseases caused by Haemophilus influenza type b like pneumonia, meningitis, bacteria, epiglottitis, septic arthiritis. A pentavalent shot vaccine reduces the number of pricks to a child, and provides protection from all five diseases.
According to the State Health Minister, Rajendra Rathore as many as 1.7 lakh children are affected by Hib in Rajasthan every year of which 4,000 die. Hib affects children below the age of 5 years and 30 lakh children are impacted by these diseases in the country every year, of which 72,000 succumb primarily to pneumonia and meningitis.
Mr. Rathore said introduction of pentavalent was one of the several measures taken by the State to reduce infant mortality to 28 per 1,000 by 2015 to meet the millennium development goals (MDGs) and to increase the immunisation coverage to 80 per cent. The Minister said 14 lakh units of vaccines would be transported to the primary health centres where these would be given free of cost. Over 2,300 cold chain depots have been established for the purpose and accredited social health activists (ASHAs) trained.
India has already started manufacturing a vaccine for prevention from rotavirus which is responsible for approximately 4.53 lakh child deaths due to diarrhoea globally each year. It is particularly threatening in India where around 78,000 children below the age of 5 years, accounting for 22 per cent of the estimated global deaths, die each year from severe diarrhea and dehydration caused by rotavirus.
In Rajasthan, 50,000 children are affected by rotavirus.
