Single vaccination will cover 6 diseases in kids

Dubai, Jan 20,2011 (Khaleejtimes):Infant vaccination will be a less 'painful issue' for parents and children in the UAE as the MoH is introducing an injection that gives immunity against six types of diseases with one shot.

From February, the National Immunisation Programme (NIP) of the ministry will include a liquid hexavalent combined vaccine against diphtheria, pertussis (whooping cough), tetanus, poliomyelitis, haemophilus influenzae type B (HIB) and hepatitis B.

The injection, which has to be administered at the end of two months after the birth of the baby, will replace the pentavalent vaccine that does not cover the injectable polio vaccine against poliomyelitis.

Announcing the details at a press conference held prior to a training programme for doctors, nurses and medical staff associated with the vaccination procedures on Wednesday, CEO of Health Policies and Legislation at MoH Dr Mahmoud Fikri said the private sector should also follow the changes in the NIP. "The combination vaccine offers similar protection when compared with separate vaccines. A single injection ensures more compliance and more vaccination coverage," he pointed out.

"It ensures completion of immunisation on time, without delay and provides same immunogenicity," he said, noting that the new booster would help reduce the number of injections given to babies, thereby lessening their pain, and anxiety of their parents.

Dr Gamil M Tourky, Director, Preventive Medicine, Sharjah said the hexavalent vaccine had been in use since 2010 and has proven to be safe. "The National Immunisation Programme is reviewed and updated from time to time. This vaccine was added to the programme after a national committee studied its benefits and made its recommendations to add it to the NIP."

He said the NIP chart which has details of childhood vaccination from 0-5 years would be altered to accommodate the introduction of the new vaccine. "We are introducing the hexavalent vaccine in a phased manner. The second and third doses of pentavalent vaccine to be administered at the end of the fourth and sixth month will also be replaced with the hexavalent vaccine when we phase out the oral polio vaccine with the intramuscular, injectable polio vaccine that is included in the hexavalent vaccine," he explained.

The hexavalent vaccine named Infanrix Hexa is manufactured by Glaxo SmithKline (GSK) and will be administered free of cost to infants at ministry's mother and child health centres, preventive medicine clinics and primary health centres.

By - Sajila Saseendran