Pakistan to Introduce Vaccination for Five Deadly Childhood Diseases

Pakistan will be introducing a new combination vaccine, which will provide protection against the bacterium Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) and four other common childhood diseases.

Hib, a bacterium that can cause deadly meningitis and pneumonia, is one of the top killers of young children in the developing world.

Hib Vaccine - Types, Dosage Schedule, Contraindications and Side Effects
The Hib vaccine protects children against infections like meningitis and pneumonia that are caused by the Haemophilus influenzae type b bacterium.

Even with treatment, an estimated 23,000 children die of Hib disease in Pakistan every year. Globally, over 1,000 children under 5 years of age die from Hib-related diseases each day.

Survivors are often permanently disabled-paralyzed, deafened or brain damaged.

The Hib vaccine will be administered through a one-shot immunization called the pentavalent vaccine that also protects against four other deadly diseases: diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, and hepatitis B.

Immunization
Protect your child from various deadly diseases by giving the vaccinations at the right age. This tool helps you schedule the vaccinations of your child.

"This is excellent news for generations of Pakistani children and their families. Pakistan is the largest country to date of all developing countries to introduce Hib vaccine into their national immunization program," said Dr. Rana Hajjeh, Director of the Hib Initiative.

"The government's decision to introduce Hib-containing pentavalent vaccine will protect millions of infants against some of the most dangerous childhood infections, including one of the major causes of pneumonia and meningitis," the expert added.

Meningitis - Causes - Symptoms - Diagnosis - Treatment - FAQs
Meninges are the three layers of membrane that cover the brain and infection of the cerebrospinal fluid between them causes meningitis the disease of the meninges.

Hib is estimated to cause about 20 percent of life-threatening pneumonia cases, and it is the most common cause of life-threatening meningitis in children under 5 years of age both worldwide and in Pakistan.

"The introduction of the pentavalent vaccine represents a major stride toward enabling Pakistan's 160 million inhabitants to make further progress towards the MDGs," said Nina Schwalbe, Deputy Executive Secretary, Director of Policy of the GAVI Alliance.

Immunization in Children - Vaccination against Hemophilus Influenza B
Haemophilus Influenza type B is a primary cause of severe bacterial infection in young infants, which begins at about 4-6 months of age after maternal antibodies have disappeared.

"The arrival of pentavalent will be a new chapter in the history of Pakistan," said Dr. Hussain Bux Memon, Pakistan's programme manager of the Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI).

"This vaccine will help us to save the lives of many children," the expert said.

Source-ANI
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