Penta-Valent Vaccine

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 (the bacteria that causes meningitis, pneumonia and otitis), Whooping Cough (or Pertussis),Tetanus, Hepatitis B and Diphtheria.

CONTROVERSIES(a) Infant death: infant deaths after the administration of pentavalent vaccine has divided doctors opinion creating an anti vaccine wave among masses.(b) Human trails: Unconsented human trails like that in the case of Human papiloma virus raises doubts about the ethicality and veracity of data.(c) Rumour market: especially among minorities that vaccine are a ploy to make their child sterile is a great hindrance in vaccination.(d) Late 2013, it was found that the Pentavalent vaccine manufacturer - The Serum Institute in India was distributing 2 sets of Pentavac PFS vaccines for administration. One set withmanufacturing and expiry dates was being provided to private hospitals, while the other set without manufacturing and expiry dates was being distributed to government hospitals.CHALLENGES(a) Coverage divide: With national average of vaccination standing at 60%, the north-south divide is astonishing, with north having dismal coverage figures of 30% compared to south of 80%.(b) Regular vaccination: It requires to bring people to the vaccination table rather than door to door vaccination of polio. Motivating people on long term basis is always a big challenge.(c) Porous borders: with huge illegal migrants the threat of spread of even eradicated wild polio virus is too real to neglect.(d) Vaccine stability: most of the vaccine still need proper handling and are temperature senstive. With poor electricity supply and remote locations their efficacy often deteriorates.(e) Migrant population: its extremly difficult to continue and complete vaccination among migrants.It therefore requires innovation to develop a single vaccine to address multiple diseases, which has a wide ranging stability in diverse climatic conditions of India. Simultaneously IEC activities should be carried out to check rumours and myths about vaccines.

New Page