Haryana Launches Pentavalent Vaccine In The State Immunization Program, to Counter Pneumonia and Meningitis

                                    Becomes the first state in north India to take this initiative

Chandigarh, December 19, 2012: The Department of Health, Government of Haryana will soon be launching the pentavalent vaccine in all 21 districts of the state. After the successful launch in Tamil Nadu and Kerala in 2011, pentavalent vaccine will be rolled out in Haryana, which provides protection against five life-threatening diseases -Diphtheria, Pertussis, Tetanus, Hepatitis B and Hib (Haemophilus influenza type b). Hib is the primary cause for childhood pneumonia and meningitis.

“Approximately ­­­­­­­­­­­­­5.5 lac children will be covered during the current year­­­­­­­­­­. This will not only prevent morbidity associated with pneumonia and meningitis but also avert thousands of deaths due to these diseases annually. The vaccine will be available free-of-cost at all public health institutions and through the State Routine Immunization program,” said Mrs. Navraj Sandhu, Principal Secretary, Health and Medical Education, Government of Haryana.

During the media partnership workshop organized today, Dr. Rakesh Gupta, Mission Director, National Rural Health Mission (NRHM), added, “ the launch of the pentavalent vaccine will help in reducing the number of shots a child receives from 9 to 3. It will also provide logistical conveniences since five vaccines are stored in a single vial and a lot of space will be freed up for storage and transportation. A single auto-disable syringe will be used instead of three per child, thereby substantially reducing the plastic and sharp waste”.

“Children below the age of five years are more vulnerable to diseases and conditions that contribute to fatal consequences leading to increased child mortality. Vaccination is one of the most significant medical interventions preventing such serious diseases. Most diseases contributing to under-five mortality are now preventable using currently available vaccination against them”, said Dr. Satish Gupta, Health Specialist (Immunization), UNICEF.

Welcoming this initiative, Dr. Naveen Gupta, General Secretary, Indian Academy of Pediatrics (IAP), Haryana, and private practitioner said, “The introduction of pentavalent vaccination, which was available in the private sector till date, will now be available free-of-cost for all newborn children in the state. Over the last few years, I have seen steady reduction of pneumonia cases after introduction of the pentavalent vaccine in the private sector”

“We congratulate the Government of Haryana on taking this progressive initiative and including the vaccine in it’s immunization program. The vaccine will now be accessible to all sections of the society, especially those most in need”, added Dr. Pradeep Haldar, Deputy Commissioner, Immunization, Government of India.

The workshop was facilitated by officials and experts from the Government of Haryana, UNICEF, WHO, IAP and Global Health Strategies.  The interactive session was attended by representatives from the regional- national print and electronic media, health department officials and health professionals.

About Pentavalent Vaccine

The pentavalent vaccine aims at providing protection against the five life threatening diseases - Diphtheria, Pertussis, Tetanus, Hepatitis B and Hib (Haemophilus influenza type b).  The DPT (Diphtheria, Pertussis, Tetanus) and Hepatitis B are already part of the national routine immunization programme. Protection against Hib is a new addition. Together, the combination is called pentavalent.

Haemophilus influenza typeB (Hib) is a bacterium that causes severe pneumonia, meningitis and other life-threatening conditions in children less than five years of age. Hib not only endangers a child’s life but also can leave the child with long-term neurological problems such as deafness, brain damage, co-ordination related problems and epilepsy.

 About Pneumonia in India

Pneumonia is one of the largest killers among young children aged one month to five years of age. Of the estimated 1.7 million childhood deaths, pneumonia contributes to nearly 390,000 deaths (20%) per year¹. Pneumonia is caused by bacterial and viral organisms. Appropriate vaccination, exclusive breast-feeding until six months of age, timely identification and treatment are key strategies to reduce mortality and morbidity due to pneumonia.

The National Technical Advisory Group on Immunization in 2009 had recommended that Hib vaccine reduces the high child mortality due to Hib meningitis and pneumonia.