In a bid to prevent death due to diarrhoea, the medical health and family welfare department would start a massive immunisation drive of Rota virus vaccine on Wednesday. Under the drive an estimated 183000 children would be vaccinated in the State.
The vaccine would be administered free of cost in children. The Rota virus vaccine would be administered along the pentavalent vaccine in the children below one year of age.
The Mission director, NHM, Yugal Kisghore Pant said that diarrhoea is one of the major causes of death in the children below five years of age and 40 percent of the diarrhoea affected children are infected by the Rota virus.
At present the vaccine is administered in private clinics and hospitals and the parents have shell out Rs 800 to Rs 20000 for it but now the health department would provide this vaccine free of cost.
The expert claimed that child mortality can be reduced by 74 percent by Rota vaccine.