Immunization against vaccine-preventable diseases can reduce childhood mortality

By Dr Pradeep HaldarBy Dr Pradeep Haldar
India needs science more  than ever. With popula tion growth, climate change, new infectious diseases, antibiotic resistance and several new threats emerging each day, the need for new vaccines is urgent. Significant progress has been made in last one decade. More Indian babies are receiving all basic vaccinations than a decade ago, a sign of better-educated mothers and better healthcare. In 2015-16, 62% Indian children (6 of 10) aged 12-23 months received basic vaccinations, up from 44% a decade ago in 2005-06, according to the latest national health survey data.Interventions such as timely treatment in the case of diarrhea, vaccinations for tetanus and measles, and an increase in hospital births have also enabled this improvement.The polio-eradication victory in 2014 remains a point of pride for India and a promise to the rest of the world. Having defeated a virulent disease in such a huge population, the expectation is that we can achieve the target of eliminating measles and rubella. The government is committed to eliminate measles and control rubella/congenital rubella syndrome (CRS) by 2020, therefore, has undertaken an initiative known as Measles-Rubella (MR) campaign. This largest ever vaccination campaign worldwide aims to cover approximately 41 crore children in the age group of 9 months to less than 15 years of age. As of now, the campaign has been completed in 17 States and Union Territories (Goa, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Lakshadweep, Puducherry, Himachal Pradesh, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Uttarakhand, Chandigarh, Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu, Odisha and Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Manipur) and is currently under-going in 5 States/UT (Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Haryana, Punjab, Gujarat, Jharkhand and Assam. Under this campaign more than 10 crore children have been administered the vaccine so far. The MR vaccine protects children from measles and rubella – two diseases with a high chance of preventable illness and death. Religious and cultural beliefs do play a role in parents choosing not to have their children immunized, but many parents are also unaware of the benefits of vaccines. While not actively rejecting them, they simply don’t know enough to seek them out. When children are not vaccinated fully and on time, the entire community’s health is at risk. The advantage of existing immunization program should be availed to safeguard the health of our children from vaccine preventable diseases. In a country of 1.2 billion people, with varying social and economic realities, prevention is always better than the occurrence of disease and undergoing treatment, and thus posing a financial burden/out of pocket expenditure on the family. Vaccine-preventable diseases such as pneumonia, diarrhea and measles are significant contributors to child morbidity and mortality in our country. The risk is not only child death but also that children who do survive these diseases are at risk of long-term effects such as deafness, seizures, motor impairment, cognitive impacts and stunting. They also miss out on important learning and development while they are ill. It is a well-known fact that vaccine preventable diseases cause serious illness and can be fatal many a times.  All vaccines used under Universal Immunization Program (UIP) are safe and effective. They undergo rigorous testing and trials before they are licensed for use in the country. The technical body, CDSCO under the aegis of Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, deliberate on the vaccine’s safety and efficacy, among other key considerations. The economic and social dividends awarded by vaccination to the community are substantial — particularly when one considers that vaccines are able to reach the poorest and most vulnerable who are disproportionately impacted by the tragic consequences of a severe disease.India is putting its best efforts to meet the goal of elimination of measles and control of CRS by 2020.This is a goal worth striving for.  (The author is the Deputy Commissioner, Immunisation, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India.)