Hexavalent Vaccine
Prelims:
Health
Mains:
GS Paper II-Issues Relating
to Health
Current relevance:
A study
conducted by the Union Health Ministry along with partner organisations
has found that introducing the hexavalent (six-in-one) vaccine under
India's Universal Immunisation Programme (UIP).
Highlights:
1.
The study
suggests that introducing the hexavalent vaccine under the Universal
Immunisation Programme (UIP) could significantly improve the efficiency of
India's childhood immunisation programme.
2. About Hexavalent Vaccine:
i.
The hexavalent
vaccine is a combination vaccine that protects infants against diphtheria,
tetanus, pertussis (Whooping Cough), Hepatitis B, Haemophilus influenzae
type b (Hib), Polio.
ii.
It provides
protection against all six diseases through a single injection.
iii.
Advantages:
·
The hexavalent
vaccine reduces the number of injections required during infancy.
·
It simplifies
the childhood immunisation schedule by combining protection against
six diseases into a single vaccine.
·
The vaccine
has the potential to improve vaccination coverage and enhance the
overall efficiency of immunisation programmes.
·
It reduces the
workload of frontline healthcare workers while saving time for caregivers.
·
The vaccine
streamlines immunisation logistics by replacing the separate pentavalent
vaccine and inactivated polio vaccine (IPV) doses.