Odisha Govt launches ‘Pentavalent Vaccine’

Bhubaneswar, Oct 7: The Odisha government launched ‘Pentavalent Vaccine’ on Wednesday here. The progamme was launched under universal immunisation programme for infants across. The ‘Pentavalent Vaccine’ will be given to all infants between the age of six weeks to one year during the first dose of immunisation. Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak, Health and Family Welfare Minister, launched the vaccination progamme at a function here.

As per the health officials,  a pentavalent vaccine is five individual vaccines conjugated in one intended to actively protect infant children from 5 potentially deadly diseases – Haemophilus Influenza type B, Whooping Cough, Tetanus, Hepatitis B and Diphtheria. It will replace three doses each of  DPT  and Hepatiatis B Vaccine given to infants before one year of age.

The vaccine will be available at all government hospitals, sub-centres and immunisation session centres across Odisha. Nirmala Dei, Director of Family Welfare said to media that the vaccine will reduce number of injection to 3 from 6 for infants.