Question : Vaccination of Children

Will the Minister of HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE be pleased to state:

(a) whether the Government has reviewed the incidence of increase of various diseases and the availability of vaccines for preventing them;

(b) if so, the details thereof;

(c) whether 29 lakh children in the country are deprived of the vaccine for measles, if so, the details thereof and the reasons therefor; and

(d) whether the Government proposes to carry out regular vaccination of children in the country and to set up research laboratories in various States to identify new diseases and if so, the details thereof, State-wise including Bihar?

ANSWER
THE MINISTER OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
(SHRI JAGAT PRAKASH NADDA)

(a) to (d) : A Statement is laid on the Table of the House.

STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO LOK SABHA
STARRED QUESTION NO. 108* FOR 22TH DECEMBER, 2017

(a) & (b) The Government has set up National Technical Advisory Group on Immunization (NTAGI), an independent body comprising of eminent public health experts, which regularly reviews the incidence of diseases through surveillance mechanisms namely Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP), hospital based surveillance of diseases by Central Bureau of Health Intelligence (CBHI), Acute Flaccid Paralysis Surveillance, Measles-Rubella Surveillance and laboratory supported Vaccine Preventable Diseases Surveillance.

Along with this data, NTAGI also analyses the scientific evidence of disease burden for disease which can be prevented through available licensed vaccines including their cost-effectiveness analysis.

(c) As per the Health Management Information System (HMIS) data for the year 2016-17, around 2.35 crore children were vaccinated with first dose of measles, which implies that 88% of the targeted children are covered. As per the concurrent monitoring data for the year 2016-17, the major reasons for children missing the vaccines are fear of Adverse Events Following Immunization (AEFI), refusal for vaccination, misinformation that vaccine causes impotency, lack of awareness, child travelling on day of vaccination and operational gaps etc.

(d) The Government is providing regular vaccination to children and pregnant women under Universal Immunization Programme wherein vaccines are provided free of cost against 8 diseases nationally and another 4 diseases sub-nationally. Further, intensified drives of Mission Indradhanush and Intensified Mission Indradhanush have also been carried out to strengthen the Routine Immunization and to increase full immunization coverage in pockets of low immunization coverage across the country.

Government of India has set up 25 permanent research institutes under Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and 86 Virus Research and Diagnostic Laboratories across the country including Bihar for research on diseases and their control measures. The list of “Research Institutes” is given at Annexure-1 and list of “Viral Research and Diagnostics Laboratories” is given at Annexure-2.