To get the state of Rajasthan free of pneumococcal pneumonia, Rajasthan government will now provide free vaccines for it. The campaign to make infants of nine districts of Rajasthan safe from pneumococcal pneumonia is started on April 7 i.e. the World Health Day. The move is part of universal immunisation programme (UIP). In India, kids below age of 5 die of pneumonia than any other disease.
Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine (PCV) is a specific vaccination for this disease which cost around 3000-4000 Rs per dose but state government will provide it for zero cost. The children will be given three doses of vaccination- one at six weeks then at 14 weeks and the last one at nine months.
Details about the vaccination program
This vaccination program will take place in phases. The vaccine has already been introduced in Bihar, UP and Himachal Pradesh. In the first phase, the vaccine will be given to children of Banswara, Barmer, Dungarpur, Jalore, Pali, Pratapgarh, Rajsamand, Sirohi and Udaipur. For health department workers, training workshops have been organized to sensitize and inform about the vaccine.
Benefits of this vaccination program
This will reduce the deaths from pneumococcal pneumonia. Families feel economic pressure due to hospitalization of kids. But when will reduce that burden. Apart from all this, the health of children will be improved. This will also reduce the mortality rate of infants.
