Best of PIB: 18 Feb 2017 for UPSC Exam

Expansion of Rotavirus vaccine under Universal Immunization
Programme

• The fourth phase of Mission Indradhanush has already begun in North-eastern states – Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura from 7th February 2017 and will be rolled out in rest of the country in April 2017
• The Rotavirus vaccine was first introduced in march 2016 in four states namely Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh and Odisha
• Now the coverage will be expanded to cover five more states of Assam, Tripura, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu

About UIP and Rotavirus

• Rotavirus is the causal organism for diarrhoea and causes 5,76,000 children deaths globally
• UIP was launched in 1985 in a phased manner
• Under this 7 vaccines are administered
  • Diptheria, Pertusis, Tetanus (DPT)
  • Polio
  • Measles
  • Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG)
  • Hepatitis B
  • Japanese Encephalitis (in endemic districts)
  • Haemophilusinfluenzae type b (Hib)
• 100% funding is provided by the central government

For more info on PCV and UIP-   Best of PIB

India accelerating efforts to eliminate measles and control
rubella by 2020

The government has launched a joint campaign against measles and rubella in this month.

India has made gains in the recent years

• Measles deaths have declined by 51% from an estimated 100,000 in the year 2000 to 49 000 in 2015
• This was made possible by significantly increasing the reach of the first dose of measles vaccine, given at the age of nine months under routine immunization programme, from 56% in 2000 to 87% in 2015
• In 2010 India introduced the second dose of measles-containing vaccine in routine immunization programme to close the immunity gap and accelerate measles elimination
• Nearly 11.8 crore children aged nine months to 10 years were vaccinated during mass measles vaccination campaigns between 2010 and 2013 in select states of the country
• During the recently announced Union Budget, the government reiterated its commitment to measles elimination.

About measles and rubella-  Best of PIB

INSV Tarini Inducted

• The Indian Navy’s second ocean going sailboatTarini was inducted today
• Has been built by M/s Aquarius Shipyard Pvt Ltd at Divar, Goa
• It is slated to be the platform for First Indian All Women Circumnavigation of the Globe expedition of the Indian Navy
• The Indian Navy’s first ocean going sailboat-INSV Mhadei