Polio vaccine injection too for kids on Apr 7

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, Apr 02, 2016 : Addressing media on April 1, Friday, district health officer (DHO) Dr Ramakrishna Rao said the IPV will be injected to the kids on April 7 - the World Health Organisation (WHO) Day. The vaccine will be injected in the sixth week and 14th week of the new born children, he added.  The Health Department will induct Inactivated Polio Vaccine (IPV) into the comprehensive immunisation programme from April 7 in a step towards strengthening the polio eradication programme. Till now, polio vaccination has been entirely driven by oral drops.   In addition to oral drops, health officials are gearing up to administer IPV, which will be in the form of injections.

The IPV will be vaccinated in all the government hospitals and primary health centres in the district on April 7. The IPV has been initiated as a part of Polio Eradication and Endgame Strategy 2013-18.

He said though India is already free from polio, the polio virus is still prevalent in neighbouring countries. As a precautionary measure, the children are given oral polio vaccine. The objective of IPV programme is to strengthen child’s immunity and provide double protection against polio.

At an awareness meeting DK DC  Adoor B Ibrahim directed the DHO to create awareness on IPV. There is a need to distribute pamphlets among the general public to create awareness in this regard, he added.

Ban on TOPV  :   WHO consultant Dr Sathish said the world will stop the use of trivalent oral polio vaccine (TOPV) and only relies on the oral bivalent variant from April 25.  If anyone is found selling TPOV to children, then criminal cases will be filed against such individuals. The medical shops  should return all stocks of TOPV to the Health Department as soon as possible.