In what is being seen as a game changer in bringing down child mortality in the country, Union Health Minister JP Nadda will on Saturday launch the much-awaited indigenously-made rotavirus vaccine in Odisha. It will be free of cost under the national programme to save kids below five years of age dying from rotavirus causing diarrhea.
Besides Odisha, the vaccine will be rolled out in the first phase in the Universal Immunisation Programme (UIP) in Andhra Pradesh, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh. later on entire country will be covered.
Around 3,45,286 children suffer from diarrhoea in Odisha every year of which 2,669 infant deaths are due to Rotavirus diarrhoea. The Centre along with UNICEF, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and other stakeholders besides the State Government is launching the Rotavirus vaccination programme and an estimated 8.53 lakh children between 0-1 year of age will be orally administered the vaccine annually.
The vaccine would be available at all Government health facilities for free to children at six, 10 and 14 weeks of age, said Nirmala Dei, director family welfare, Odisha Government. The initiative is expected to save more than lakh lives per year from diarrhoea, said Dr Nirmala Dei, Director, Family Planning Odisha Government.
She was speaking at a media orientation programme on the vaccine organised by the UNICEF here on Tuesday.
Diarrhoea can turn serious with high chance of dehydration and death if not treated adequately in underfed children. Rotavirus-induced diarrhoea accounts for 40 per cent of hospitalisations among children.
Dr Hemanta Mishra from State Health Department said, under UIP, around 8,53,000 infants between 0-1 year would be targeted through 26,000 immunisation sessions monthly in 30 districts in the State.
Umi Bae, Chief of Field Office, Unicef-Odisha added, "It is important that information about the availability of the Rotavirus vaccine reaches all mothers and care givers in the state. The media, through responsible reporting is a valuable partner in getting the messages out on a consistent basis that not only create demand but also dispel fears."