In order to bring down mortality rate of children under the age of five, government has prioritised rotavirus and pneumococcal vaccines to be brought under the national immunisation programme. The pneumococal disease vaccine is likely to be introduced by the year end in the national immunisation programme.

According to official figures, more than one lakh pneumococcal deaths have occurred in India. Pneumococcal vaccines have been available for nearly a decade including India. GAVI and its partners have immunised an estimated 4.7 crore children with pneumococcal vaccines.

Around 127 countries have introduced Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccines in their National Immunisation Programme by May 2015. This also comes as a welcome change as around 25 per cent of the one crore annual deaths globally is of children aged under-five.

Pneumococcal disease is an infection caused by bacteria called Streptococcus pneumoniae, also known as ‘Pneumococcus’. The cost of Pneumococcal vaccination in the Indian private sector ranges between Rs.8000 and Rs.16000 for a complete course and for rotavirus, it ranges between Rs.2000 and Rs.4000.

GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceuticals Limited organised an interactive seminar on “Value of Vaccines” which focused on Vaccines Preventable Diseases (VPD) and the benefits of vaccination in all ages.

Dr Vijay Yewale, past president, Indian Academy of Pediatrics 2014, Dr Nikhil Parwate, fellow gynecologic oncology, colposcopist and Dr. Shafi Kolhapure, GM, medical affairs, biologicals - India, GSK Pharmaceuticals Limited shared their perspective on the occasion.

Dr Shafi Kolhapure informed that the top vaccine preventable diseases in India are pneumococcal, rotaviral diarrhea, cervical cancer, rabies, DTP pentavalent combination, chicken-pox, TT/Tdap booster, flu/influenza, hepatitis- B and hepatitis- A.

Said Dr Nikhil Parwate, “Besides this, cervical cancer ranks number 2 in terms of cases and deaths by cancers in Indian women, only second to breast cancer. Therefore there is a need to set up a robust screening system in India added with the advantage of vaccination. US and UK have made screening of cervical cancer compulsory. India needs to take it up also with a standard set of guidelines.”

Besides this, India reports the highest rabies deaths globally (20,000 deaths/year). Children are at highest risk of rabies. Around 50 per cent rabies exposures occur in children in less than 5 years.

Said Dr Shafi Kolhapure, “Certain myths therefore need to be dispelled like mere dog scratch without bleeding cannot lead to rabies. The fact is that rabies virus is generally transmitted from the infected animal (pet or stray), to victim by various modes including a scratch with or without bleeding and a bite. There is a myth that home remedies can prevent risk of rabies after dog scratch. The fact is that complete post-exposure prophylaxis against rabies includes appropriate wound washing and taking full 5 doses of rabies vaccine and rabies immunoglobulin if indicated.”

He further added that there is also a myth that all 5 shots of rabies vaccine are not necessary. As a matter of fact, every year in India 10 per cent of rabies deaths occur due to incomplete vaccination. WHO recommends 5 doses of anti rabies vaccine to be taken post dog bite. There is a myth that rabies vaccines are to be taken only post dog bite. The fact is that WHO recommends anti rabies vaccine even before a dog scratch/bite. All children are the most frequent victims of bites.