Rotavirus vaccine introduced in Nizamabad

Nizamabad: The Universal immunisation programme under the auspices of the Government Medical and Health Department was held at the Primary Health Center, Vinayaka Nagar in the city on Monday. District Collector MRR Rao formally launched the rotavirus vaccine. He said the disease diarrhea is most common among the children from newborns to childhood under one year of age.

Symptoms include watery diarrhea and fever. The government has introduced the vaccine which claims that 40,000 children die every year due to diarrhea. The Collector recalled that the vaccine was officially released on September 5 by the State Commissioner for Medical Health. The vaccine is administered to the newborn baby at the age of one month and a half. Two-and-a-half months old is administrated the second dose.

Again the third dose is given in three installments in three and a half months. The Collector has assured that the vaccine will have no side effects. It can be combined with other vaccines. But even though the vaccine is available in other private hospitals, the government is providing the vaccine free of charge for the health of the children.

He said the vaccine would be available in the district headquarters at the hospital as well as the primary health centres. Everyone is advised to vaccinate his children strictly. DM&HO Dr Sudarshan, Deputy DM&HO Dr Tukaram Rathod, DIO Dr Shiv Shankar attended the programme.