AMN /
India’s Health and Family Welfare Minister J P Nadda today launched new Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine, PCV, for Pneumonia at Lal Bahadur Shastri Medical College Hospital in Mandi district in Himachal Pradesh. The vaccine has been launched under Government of India’s Universal Immunization Programme, UIP.
There are over 90 different types of pneumococcal bacteria which cause a range of problems including ear
infections and serious chest infections pneumonia. This vaccine would help health department to control the pneumonia and child mortality rate. The vaccine will be administered under routine immunization programme in the country.
In the first phase vaccine has been launched in whole Himachal Pradesh as well as in six districts of Uttar Pradesh and seventeen districts of Bihar by Union Health Minister J. P. Nadda from Medical College. The vaccine will give protection against 13 types of pneumococcal bacteria which cause pneumonia disease. This is the twelfth disease against which vaccine has been launched by the Health Ministry. Definitely, the vaccine will reduce mortality due to pneumonia in the country, where at present, more than one lakh children die of this disease every year.
For any clarification about news / views contact our editorial team at 9868347533