AGARTALA, Nov 1 (TIWN): State Government on Sunday launched pentavalent vaccine under the universal immunization programme that will help to immunize the children all across the state.

Speaking at the programme at Muktadhara, Health & Family Welfare Minister Badal Choudhury said that the number of death of the children is high in the Nation. Therefore, along with the Nation, Tripura also took the initiative to provide vaccine to the children to control the rate of death, said Minister Choudhury.

Besides, he also urged the ASHA, Anganwari workers to visit every house of the concern area and to aware the people about the advantage of the vaccine.

However, he also urged the parents to bring their infants to the nearest healthcare centre and make use of this facility. The vaccine will protect the children from five different ailments.

It is to be mentioned here that the pentavalent vaccine will be administered at six weeks, 10 weeks and 14 weeks.

The pentavalent vaccine is a combination of DPT (diphtheria, Pertussis/whooping cough and tetanus), Hepatitis B and Hib vaccines. DPT and Hepatitis B vaccines are already a part of the immunisation programme and now they will be replaced by the pentavalent vaccine. Each pentavalent vaccine consists of 0.5ml dose that will be given intramuscularly in the mid-thigh region through syringes.

In perspective of doctors, the pentavalent vaccine is relevant for the state as it reduces work load during routine vaccine. One vaccine would work for five diseases.

However, in the year 2013 the executive board of the WHO approved the targets, goals and timelines of the Polio Eradication and Endgame plan (2013-18). IPV will be an addition to existing schedule of OPV. And it will be introduced by December 2015.

Only one IPV injection will be given to a child at 14 week age along with OPV3. Combining IPV with OPV provides the advantages of both vaccines: strong intestinal immunity and antibody protection against all three serotypes of Polio virus.

This vaccine cannot be given after one years of age.

Besides, it has been mentioned that children with moderate to severe acute illness should not be administered with pentavalent vaccine until their condition improves.

This programme has been organized with the initiatives of the National Health Mission of Tripura.

During the programme, Secretary for Health and Family Welfare Department M. Nagaraju, NHM Director Sandeep Mahatme and others were present.