Kerala will introduce rotavirus vaccine (RVV), which protects children from infectious diarrhoeal diseases caused by rotavirus, into its Universal Immunisation Programme (UIP) as part of a national initiative.
The vaccine, introduced as part of the UIP in four States in 2016, is being expanded across the country in phases and 11 States have made it a part of the immunisation schedule.
Though Kerala was expected to have a full-fledged launch, the unexpected floods od this year upset the Health Department’s schedule of training programmes for medical officers and health workers. It will be formally introduced into the State’s UIP schedule at SAT Hospital here on Friday.
The department hopes to introduce the RVV in other districts as and when the training programmes are completed. By October end, it is expected to be made available free of cost in all public sector health institutions, senior officials said.
40% of hospitalisation
According to the Indian Rotavirus Strain Surveillance Network (IRSSN), rotavirus is responsible for nearly 40% of the hospitalisations due to diarrhoea in children under five years of age in the country, with approximately 1.2-1.5 lakh annual deaths. Approximately 50% of rotavirus-associated deaths occurred in the first year of life and about 75% occurred in the first two years. The burden of rotavirus diarrhoea and associated death varies by region, age and sex in India.
Low burden
The burden of diarrhoeal diseases in children caused by rotavirus in Kerala has not been estimated even though it is expected to be very low. Even though it is eminently contestable whether the RVV has any relevance in Kerala, it is recommended by the Indian Academy of Paediatrics also. Paediatricians in the private sector have been prescribing the vaccine, which is expensive, for over a decade now.
There is no specific therapy currently available to tackle rotavirus diarrhoea. As in the case of other diarrhoeas, the cornerstone of rotavirus diarrhoea treatment is also fluid replacement with ORS and zinc supplementation for 14 days, which reduces the severity and duration of diarrhoea.
Highly contagious
However, the rotavirus is highly contagious and resilient. Nearly every child is at risk of infection, regardless of location, hygiene practices, or access to safe drinking water or sanitation. Hence, rotavirus vaccine along with proper sanitation, hand washing practices, ORS and zinc supplementation will go a long way in reducing the mortality and morbidity due to diarrhoea in children, the Union Health Ministry says.
The efficacy of rotavirus vaccines against severe rotavirus diarrhoea in India rangess from 40 to 60%.