Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine (PCV) for Pneumonia has been launched by J. P. Nadda, Minister for Health & Family Welfare, at the Lal Bahadur Shastri Medical College Hospital located in Himanchal Pradesh’s Mandi district. The step has been taken to prevent number of child death due to vaccine preventable disease.
Shri Nadda also unveiled the communication material containing TV and radio spots, banners, posters, etc. at the Mandi event in order to raise awareness about the PCV. He also revealed that the Health Ministry has also planned a wide-ranging awareness campaign to make the vaccine service available to most of the people within the country.
In India, every year over 1 lakh children die of pneumonia. This new vaccine will prevent body against 13 types of pneumococcal bacteria that can lead to pneumonia. The Indian Health Ministry has launched vaccine for 11 diseases and this is the twelfth one for which a vaccine has been launched.
What is Pneumonia?
Pneumonia is a deadly disease which is caused by the inflammation of airspaces in the lungs. The most common reason of the disease is infection. It is one of the leading cause death of children that are under the age of five years.
The disease may also be caused by viruses, bacteria, or fungi. Streptococcus pneumoniae is the most common type of bacterial that causes pneumonia.
Signs and Symptoms of the Disease:
The signs and symptoms of pneumonia include chills, fever, cough, fatigue and shortness of breath.
Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine: Key Facts
1. PCV is a part of the Universal Immunization Programme (UIP) of the government.
2. The vaccine will be administered under routine immunization programme.
3. The vaccine would help in controlling pneumonia and reducing the child mortality rate.
4. The PCV vaccine provides protection against Streptococcus pneumonia and the diseases like meningitis, pneumonia, sinus infections, and ear infections.
