Pneumococcal 13-valent Conjugate Vaccine (PCV)

In News

• Ministry of Health has launched a nationwide expansion of Pneumococcal 13-valent Conjugate Vaccine (PCV) under the Universal Immunisation Programme (UIP).

About

• It was for the first time in the country that PCV would be available for universal use. 
• PCV13 protects against 13 types of bacteria that cause pneumococcal disease.
  • Conjugate vaccines are made using a combination of two different components.
• Health is a fundamental right and a healthy population especially children would enhance the country’s growth, productivity and development.

Pneumococcal disease

• About:
  • Pneumococcal disease is a name for any infection caused by bacteria called Streptococcus pneumonia or pneumococcus. Most people carry pneumococcus in their nose and throat, where the bacteria do not cause any symptoms.
• Causes: 
  • Bacteria, viruses, or fungi can lead to pneumonia.
• Top causes include:
  • Flu viruses
  • Cold viruses
  • RSV virus (the top cause of pneumonia in babies aged 1 or younger)
  • Bacteria called Streptococcus pneumonia and Mycoplasma pneumonia.
• Spread:
  • Pneumonia is contagious and can be spread through coughing or sneezing. It can also be spread through fluids, like blood during childbirth, or from contaminated surfaces.
• Symptoms:
  • Cough with phlegm or pus, fever, chills and difficulty breathing.

Status of Pneumonia in India

• As per UNICEF data, more than one lakh children under the age of five years die every year in India due to pneumococcal disease. Around 16% of deaths in children occur due to pneumonia in India.
• The top five contributors to India’s pneumococcal pneumonia burden in terms of the number of cases and deaths were Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Jharkhand.
• Pneumonia caused by pneumococcus is the most common cause of severe pneumonia in children. 

Initiatives in fighting Pneumonia

• Global Action Plan for Pneumonia and Diarrhoea (GAPPD): It is an effort led by the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF to accelerate disease prevention and control.
• Integrated Action Plan for Prevention and Control of Pneumonia and Diarrhoea (IAPPD): It was launched in the year 2014, to undertake collaborative efforts towards the prevention of diarrhoea and Pneumonia related under-five deaths.
• Global Forum on Childhood Pneumonia: It is an initiative of 9 leading health and children’s organisations including UNICEF, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and Gavi among others.
• Social Awareness and Actions to Neutralize Pneumonia Successfully (SAANS) Initiative: It aims to reduce child mortality due to pneumonia, which contributes to around 15% of deaths of children under the age of five annually.

Universal Immunization Programme (UIP)

• It was launched in 1985 to prevent mortality and morbidity in children and pregnant women against 12 vaccine-preventable diseases.
• The UIP is one of the largest public health programmes targeting close to 26.7 million newborns and 29 million pregnant women annually.
• Under UIP, free of cost vaccination is provided against twelve vaccine-preventable diseases i.e. Tuberculosis, Diphtheria, Pertussis, Tetanus, Polio, Hepatitis B, Pneumonia and Meningitis due to Haemophilus Influenzae type b (Hib), Measles, Rubella, Japanese Encephalitis (JE) and Rotavirus diarrhoea.
• It is one of the largest health programmes in the world. Despite being operational for many years, UIP has been able to fully immunize only 65% of children under 1 year of age.

Source: TH