Pneumonia vaccine drive for toddlers in September

GURUGRAM: This September, Haryana will

administer

pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) for pneumonia to

children

under the age of one year across the state.

Health

department officials of each district underwent training for the same last week.


The

vaccines

will be administered at 6 weeks, 14 weeks and 9 months for children, as per the routine immunisation schedule. Other vaccines which will be given include vaccine for diphtheria, pertussis, and tetanus (DPT), Rotavirus (to protect against infections which lead to severe diarrhea), and pentavalent vaccines which protect against many infections.

The civil surgeon, immunisation officer, urban nodal officer and a senior medical officer from each district underwent training. They will in turn train health workers who will carry out the

vaccination

.

According to the district immunisation officer Dr M P Singh, prevention against pneumonia is presently done partly through the pentavalent vaccine and the

measles

vaccine. However, the government’s decision to subsidize the vaccine, which is available in private hospitals in the price range of Rs 3,000 to Rs 5,000, will finally be implemented.