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Inactivated poliovirus vaccine launch on Nov 30

By Correspondent

BARPETA, Nov 27 - The National Health Mission ( NHM) in association with the State Health Department will launch the latest polio vaccine, i.e., Inactivated Poliovirus Vaccine (IPV) in Barpeta district along with the rest of the State.

This was disclosed by the Deputy Commissioner of Barpeta district, Varnali Deka here on Thursday morning.

Addressing a press conference at the Deputy Commissioner�s conference hall in order to inform about the immunisation scheme in the district, she said that all the ongoing immunisation schemes, including Mission Indradhanush and Japanese Encephalitis vaccination is going on well in the district. Further, with the introduction of IPV from November 30 next, immunisation will be intensified even further.

Joint Director of Health, Dr Subrat Sarma informed that India has already been declared a polio-free country and a certificate to this effect from the concerned international agency has since been received in 2014.

However, there is apprehension that oral polio vaccine, which was instrumental in eradicating polio, may cause vaccine derived polio virus (VDPV) as it is a live virus. Nevertheless, IPV has been developed so as to ensure risk-free immunisation as it is a dead virus and is administered only via injection, and not administered orally.

Dr Sarma also informed that all the children will be administered the vaccine within one year. He therefore requested the parents and guardians to cooperate with the health authorities so that the collective effort to eradicate the deadly disease becomes fruitful.

Presenting an account of the ongoing immunisation process, District Immunisation Officer Dr Pramathesh Sarma informed that till date, 15 per cent children had been fully immunised under Mission Indradhanush and 80 per cent have been partially immunised. He claimed that it is higher than the national and State-level average which is around 65 per cent. He also informed that Mission Indradhanush has since its inception concentrated on the backward and underprivileged areas of the district comprising 100 health sub centres out of 264 in the district, though it is going on all over the district. He requested all those present to particiapate in both Mission Indradhanush and JE vaccination so that the district becomes 100 per cent immunised.

It may be pertinent to mention here that IPV is a substitute of the ongoing OPV all over the country. Assam is one of the six States in the country selected to administer the effective and costly vaccine. Though it will be administered along with OPV, however, OPV will be withdrawn from April 2016.

As a matter of fact, there is no apprehension about any side effect as it has been introduced after a lot of research and has been duly certified by the World Health Organisation (WHO), which along with UNICEF is one of the stakeholders in the entire process. The health officials are therefore optimistic of a positive outcome of this vaccine with the help and cooperation from all concerned.

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