Ahead of the national launch of the Rotavirus Vaccine in the Universal Immunisation Programme (UIP), the State Health Department in association with the Unicef organised a workshop on the importance of the new vaccines in reducing under-five child mortality and improving child survival here on Tuesday.
Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare Minister JP Nadda would launch the vaccine through the UIP here on March 26.
Besides Odisha, the vaccine would be provided to the children in Andhra Pradesh, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh. later, it would be expanded to other parts of the country.
Rotavirus, which causes diarrhoea, leads to approximately 78,000 dseaths each year in India. It kills one child every four minutes in India and is a leading cause of under-five child deaths in the country, contributing to about 40 per cent of diarrhoea-related deaths among children.
State Family Welfare Director Dr Nirmala Dei said, “Rotavirus Vaccine offers the best hope for preventing the deadly dehydrating diarrhoea preventing thousands of deaths of children. Earlier, the benefits of this vaccine were available only to those who could afford it, but now it would be available to every child in the State.”
Unicef Odisha Chief Yumi Bae said, “Rotavirus Vaccine should reach all mothers and care givers in the State.”