JOIN US5-in-1 vaccine to save children
The five-in-one vaccine was launched formally by chief minister Sheila Dikshit on Tuesday which will provide insurance to children against all life threatening diseases such as diptheria, pertusis, tetanus, hepatitis B and haemophilus influenza type B associated pneumonia and meningitis.
She said this children-friendly vaccine is only a single injection prick instead of three different injection pricks and it would protect them from many dangerous diseases.
The injection will be given from Tuesday onwards at around 650 primary health centres (PHCs) and 32 major Delhi government hospitals, she said.
“The government will provide the injection for free though it is a costly one. Parents are exhorted to take their children to primary health centres on Wednesdays and Fridays and government hospitals in all working days,” said Dikshit at a function organised at Maulana Azad Medical College (MAMC) auditorium.
Health minister Dr A K Walia and principal secretary (health) S C L Das were also present.
Proper prevention
The chief minister also stressed upon the need for proper prevention.
She said her government had always been a pioneer in the health sector as it was the first one to introduce pulse polio programme, start MMR and typhoid vaccines in public health system and hepatitis B vaccine under the child vaccination programme.
Dr Walia said the government was making all possible efforts to bring down the infant mortality rate.
“The rate was 46 per 1,000 live births in 2005-06, which has been brought down to just 28 in 2012 with concerted efforts of the city government. Further, only 58 per cent infants were getting full immunisation in 1998-99 whereas 89 per cent got it in 2011-12,” he said.
The health minister said the new vaccine was safe, effective and already in use in many parts of the developed world.
He added that once it was made available to each of our more than three lakh newborn babies at their 6,10,14 week ages, it would drastically cut down on their hospitalisation and improve overall infant and child survival.