The Union Health Minister has recently announced the nationwide expansion of the Pneumococcal 13-valent Conjugate Vaccine (PCV) to decrease fatalities from pneumonia in children under five. This health initiative has been implemented under the ‘Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav’ event as part of the Universal Immunisation Programme (UIP), marking the first-ever universal use of PCV in India.
About the Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine (PCV)
PCV is a vaccine developed using 13 different strains of Streptococcus pneumoniae bacterium. It is primarily used to prevent children from developing pneumococcal disease and has also been studied in patients with weakened immune systems. The Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine is created by combining two different components, making it a conjugate vaccine.
Understanding Pneumococcal Disease
Pneumococcal Disease is a bacterial infection caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae or pneumococcus. The bacteria can lead to numerous illnesses, including pneumonia, an infection of the lungs. It is one of the most common causes of pneumonia. Those most vulnerable to pneumococcal disease include children under two, adults over 65, individuals with certain medical conditions, and cigarette smokers. In India, pneumonia contributes to approximately 16% of deaths among children. The disease is contagious, spreading through coughing or sneezing, childbirth fluids, or contact with contaminated surfaces.
The Universal Immunisation Programme (UIP)
India’s Immunization Programme was introduced in 1978 as the ‘Expanded Programme of Immunization (EPI)’ by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. In 1985, this program was modified and became known as the ‘Universal Immunization Programme (UIP)’.
The main objectives of UIP include increasing immunization coverage rapidly, enhancing the quality of services, establishing a reliable cold chain system up to the health facility level, creating a district-based performance monitoring system, and achieving self-sustainability in vaccine production.
The UIP aims to prevent mortality and morbidity in children and pregnant women against 12 vaccine-preventable diseases. However, there was a slowdown in the increase in immunization coverage between 2009 and 2013, which grew at just 1% per year.
Vaccines Provided under UIP
Nationally, the UIP provides protection against ten diseases: Diphtheria, Pertussis, Tetanus, Polio, Measles, Rubella, severe Childhood Tuberculosis, Rotavirus diarrhea, Hepatitis B, and Meningitis & Pneumonia caused by Haemophilus Influenzae type B.
On a sub-national basis, the program protects against Pneumococcal Pneumonia and Japanese Encephalitis. Of these, the Pneumococcal Conjugate vaccine has been expanded nationally, while the JE vaccine is only supplied in endemic districts.
Efforts to Accelerate Immunization Coverage
To speed up the immunization coverage, Mission Indradhanush was conceived and implemented in 2015 with the aim to rapidly increase full immunization coverage to 90%. More recently, the Intensified Mission Indradhanush (IMI) 3.0 scheme was launched to immunize children and pregnant women who missed routine vaccination during the Covid-19 pandemic.
