Federal Health Minister J P Nadda yesterday launched Rotavirus vaccination for five more states in the country to immunise children against diarrhoea, one of the major causes of child deaths in India.
Nadda, accompanied by Tripura Health Minister Badal Choudhury, launched here the Rotavirus vaccination for Assam, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu and Tripura.
Rotavirus vaccine is used to protect against rotavirus infections, which cause severe diarrhoea among young children.
“The vaccine will prevent rotavirus diarrhoea in children, which accounts for about 40% of hospitalisations for diarrhoea in India. Rotavirus diarrhoea is responsible for nearly 100,000 deaths, 3.2mn out-patient visits and nearly 800,000 hospitalisations every year,” Nadda said.
He said: “Rotavirus diarrhoea can also lead to dehydration, malnutrition and delayed physical and mental development in children. Rotavirus vaccination would help in reducing the infant mortality rate.”
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given instructions to the central ministers to give top focus to the eastern and northeastern part of India, as these regions got less attention in various aspects earlier, the union minister added.
Nadda, who came here yesterday from New Delhi, said that diarrhoea is one of the biggest killers of children and rotavirus is one of the most common causes of severe diarrhoea in children less than five years of age.
He said: “The government is also committed to increasing full immunisation coverage and ensuring that the benefit of the life-saving vaccines is provided to every child in every part of India.”
The minister urged the states to “successfully roll out of the mission Indradhanush, which has already created a significant impact across the country.”
In March 2016, the Rotavirus vaccine was first introduced in four states — Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh and Odisha.
So far, about 3.8mn children have been vaccinated with Rotavirus in these four states.
Tripura health minister Badal Choudhury said that the state government has been implementing all health related schemes of the central government with full sincerity.
“The central government must come forward in helping the state to prevent cancer and other dreaded diseases in the northeastern states,” he added.
Federal Minister for Health and Family Welfare JP Nadda administers the Rotavirus vaccine to a child at Pragna Bhawan in Agartala.
