In an attempt to protect infants from contracting COVID-19 infections, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation has now decided to vaccinate more than one lakh infants with Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine (PCV) which will protect them from pneumonia and other pneumococcal diseases. Civic officials said amid the ongoing pandemic they have taken many health initiatives of which vaccinating infants with PCV is one of them.
“We will provide these vaccines free of cost at all hospitals and clinics under the civic body. As per the data, there are 1.50 lakh infants up to the age of 1 year in the city and soon all of them will be vaccinated with the PCV,” said Suresh Kakani, Additional Municipal Commissioner.
Kakani further said as part of the pre-preparation for this vaccination, training is being imparted to the concerned staff and awareness is being spread at the regional level. Arrangements are also being made for the distribution of vaccines, syringes and other supplies.
Moreover, this vaccination program is the expanded vaccination program that provides preventive vaccines against BCG, polio, whooping cough, whooping cough, tetanus, hepatitis-B, H influenza-B, rotavirus, measles, rubella. “As per the instructions of the state government, another new vaccine has been included in the vaccination campaign. The vaccine is called 'Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine' (PCV) and will protect against pneumococcal pneumonia and other diseases,” said a senior health officer.
