It may take at least two more years for the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV), introduced now in the Universal Immunisation Programme (UIP), to reach Karnataka as it is not categorised as a “high-burden” State.
Paediatricians in Karnataka say this is too long a wait for a vaccine that is already available in the private sector and accessible to only those who can afford it. The vaccine will protect children from severe forms of pneumococcal disease, such as pneumonia and meningitis.
Pneumococcal disease is the leading cause of vaccine-preventable deaths in children under the age of five globally. With India accounting for 20% of global pneumonia deaths under this age, PCV’s inclusion in UIP is to ensure equitable access to those who need it most.
Rolling it out in phases
The vaccine, rolled out in Mandi, Himachal Pradesh, six districts of Uttar Pradesh, and 17 districts of Bihar as a part of the first phase, will be extended to Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan next year. It will be extended to other States, including Karnataka, in a phased manner subsequently.
Chikkanarasa Reddy, assistant professor of paediatrics at Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute (BMCRI), said that although most parents who bring their children to government hospitals are from the lower strata of society, they are ready to do anything when it comes to the health of their children.
“Most of the parents of children I see at Bowring and Lady Curzon Hospital ask for the vaccine as there is awareness now. As it not available in the UIP, they go out of their way to arrange money to get their children vaccinated in private clinics. I feel it should be made available in UIP across the country simultaneously,” he said.
Quoting studies done in the past showing that children under five in Karnataka are vulnerable to pneumococcal disease, he said every year 59 lakh children die worldwide before their fifth birthday. Of these, 9% die because of diarrhoea and 16% because of pneumonia.
Asha Benekappa, director of the State-run Indira Gandhi Institute of Child Health, welcomed the inclusion of PCV in UIP. “There is no doubt that all States need the vaccine in UIP. But, the government is first catering to high-burden States. Moreover, the measles-rubella vaccine was recently rolled out in Karnataka and four other States,” she said.
Pradeep Haldar, Deputy Commissioner (Immunisation), Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, said although there is no stipulated time frame for the vaccine’s introduction in Karnataka, it will be done in a phased manner across the country.
Admitting that the entire country needs PCV, Dr. Haldar said that the vaccine is being rolled out to approximately 21 lakh children in the first phase.
