As part of its universal immunization programme, the Tamil Nadu government has asked the central government to include Rubella and Hib vaccines in the state's vaccination schedule from this year.

Rubella vaccine is generally given for preventing German measles caused by rubella virus, which consequently leads to deafness, loss of vision, malfunctioning of hearts, brain disorders, etc in children. Hib vaccine immunizes children against the dangerous bacteria Hemophilus influenza type B, which can lead to meningitis, pneumonia and epiglottitis. It will be given three times during the first year of a child's birth and the last dose is given around 12-18 months. Rubella is mainly for administering adolescent girls and hib is for giving children of both sexes, Dr Senthamizhan, director of immunization, said.

He said that the department is hopeful of getting the necessary approval for the same from the union health ministry in another six months.

Currently, vaccines like OPV, DPT, BCG, Measles, Hepatitis-B are administered to diseases like whooping cough, diphtheria, neonatal tetanus, polio, childhood tuberculosis, hepatitis-B and measles. "Among these diphtheria and whooping cough have almost been eradicated in the state, and presently we are engaged in sustained work for not recurring these ailments", the director said.

Recently, the government has started Japanese Encephalitis vaccines against brain fever in some districts of the state, which will be extended gradually throughout the state. He said that Tamil Nadu stands first in the performance of immunization programme, and big improvement is being registered in all the 43 health unit districts of the state including Chennai. "In India around 1,50,000 children are dying due to measles every year, but in Tamil Nadu, in the last 15 years, no death due to measles was reported", the director of immunization claimed.