Universal Immunisation Programme: Govt To Administer Every Child In Country With Rotavirus Vaccine By End Of Year

The Union Health Ministry us aiming to expand its vaccination programme as it aims to administer the rotavirus vaccine to every child in the country by the end of the year reports Asian News International (ANI).

“We are committed to ending morbidity and mortality in children due to the diarrhoea by 2022. In our ambitious plan under the 100-day agenda, it has been decided to provide rotavirus vaccination to every child across all 37 States and UTs by September,” health minister Harsh Vardhan said.

Vardhan said that diarrhoea is one of the main causes of death in children, and the rotavirus is one of the most common causes of severe diarrhoea in toddlers under two years.

The vaccine when taken with proper sanitation, hand wash practices, ORS and zinc supplements will help reduce mortality and morbidity due to diarrhoea in children, Vardhan adds.

The National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (NTAGI) recommended the introduction of rotavirus vaccine (RVV) into the Universal Immunisation Programme (UIP).

Under the UIP, three doses of rotavirus vaccine will be provided with other vaccines at free of cost. The vaccine will be provided in three stages- when a child is one and a half months, two and a half months, and three and a half months,