The Punjab Government today launched the ‘Rotavirus Vaccine’ under Routine Immunization Programme to control the diarrhoea cases among young children.In his address here on the occasion of State level function held to introduce Rotavirus Vaccine, Health & Family Welfare Minister Mr. Balbir Singh Sidhu said that Rotavirus is disease which causes 30-40 percent deaths (about 80,000) of children below the age of 5 years in our country in which 50 percent recorded deaths are of children below the age of 1 year. He said that this Rotavirus Vaccine will provide the health security to our children and also control the Infant Mortality Rate in the State. Although, over the past few years Punjab has already recorded remarkable reduction in the infant and under-5 years mortality rate as compared to the national achievement this Immunisation will also play a major role in further reduction of this rate.Underscoring the targets achieved by the Health Department, the Health Minister said that he is happy to announce that Punjab has the highest immunisation coverage in the country at 89.1 percent as per NFHS-4 and 95 percent as per HMIS 2018-19. He assured that to further strengthen the immunisation programme for children, Health Department would take concrete steps to maintain this status and all vaccinations would be provided to each and every child of the state.
Balbir Singh Sidhu further said that this is also matter of pride for the Health Department that the Government Hospitals are accounting for the 90 percent of immunisation of children of Punjab under the strict guideline of Routine Immunisation Programme. The cold chain of vaccination has been perfectly maintained by the department in all health centres and special training is being provided to Auxiliary Nurse Midwives and staff nurses to administer this vaccine.He said that during the last decade, the department eradicated Polio, introduced second dose of Measles Pentavalent Vaccine and injectable Polio Vaccine shifted from trivalent to bivalent OPV, conducted a successful Measles-Rubella (MR) Campaign in Routine Immunisation. Recently Health Department has also introduced adult dose of Diphtheria Vaccine (shift from TT to Td) into the immunisation programme in order to combat the emergence of Diphtheria in older age groups.He added that the department is today launching Rotavirus Vaccine which will further reduce the child mortality in general and infant mortality in particular.Mr. Balbir Singh Sidhu also announced that to strengthen the health services in Mohali City, 3 urban Community Health Centres would be established in Mohali.Amongst others prominent present in the meeting included Political Secretary/ Health Minister--Mr. Harkesh Chand Sharma, Director Health Services Mrs. Jaspal Kaur, Director Health & Family Welfare Mrs. Jaspal Kaur, Dr. G.B. Singh Programme Officer, Civil Surgeon Mohali Dr. Manjit Singh, Senior Deputy Mayor Mr. Rishav Jain, Councillor Jasvir Singh Manku, Councillor Kuljit Singh Bedi, Councillor Bharat Bhushan, Councillor Surinder Singh Rajput, Jaspreet Singh Gill Block Congress Committee Mohali.