‘Scale up routine immunisation providers together with Covid-19 vaccination’: WHO to South-East Asia

Express News Service

NEW DELHI: The World Health Organisation (WHO) on Saturday referred to as for extra vital steps within the South-East Asia Region to revive common immunisation charges to pre-Covid instances, stressing that regardless of concerted efforts by international locations, challenges and gaps persist. 

Highlighting India’s routine immunisation protection, the world well being physique stated that decline was witnessed in 2020. However, it added that in 2021, India offered near 2 billion doses of Covid-19 and different childhood vaccines taken collectively, over 5 instances extra vaccines administered within the nation through the 12 months than in 2020. 

Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh, Regional Director WHO South-East Asia, recommended the area for administering a billion doses of Covid-19 vaccines to this point since January 2021, when the primary dose of vaccine was issued within the area.

“As we focus on further scaling up Covid-19 vaccination coverage, we must also do all we can to ensure no child is deprived of life-saving vaccines offered under routine immunisation services,” she added.

Many counties have demonstrated that routine immunisation will be maintained or scaled up together with Covid-19 vaccination, she stated.

“This speaks for a very committed health workforce which has to manage considerable challenges.”

Though India noticed a decline in routine immunisation in 2020, it picked up subsequently.

In India, periodic intensification of routine immunisation is carried out by way of ‘Mission Indradhanush’. WHO has supported detailed mapping and categorisation of low protection areas in states, guiding brief and medium-term plans to enhance protection in all such locations, the assertion added. Bangladesh, Maldives, Sri Lanka and Thailand maintained excessive vaccination charges of over 95 per cent DTP3 protection all through the Covid -19 pandemic.

Bhutan witnessed a slight decline in 2020 however surpassed its pre-pandemic protection of 97 per cent to 98 per cent DTP3 in 2021, a press release stated.

Globally, DTP3 (third dose of vaccines for diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis) in one-year-old youngsters is a proxy indicator for immunisation protection, it stated.

Nepal considerably revived routine immunisation protection for DTP3 from 84 per cent in 2020 to 91 per cent in 2021. These six international locations have additionally achieved excessive COVID-19 vaccination protection, it stated.

All international locations within the South-East Asia Region targeted on routine immunisation whereas prioritising important providers through the pandemic and concerted efforts proceed to be made to scale-up vaccination protection, specializing in figuring out and vaccinating ‘missed youngsters’, the world well being physique stated.

Efforts for measles and rubella elimination, a flagship precedence within the Region, continued through the pandemic. Nepal considerably elevated the protection for the second dose of measles and rubella vaccine from 76 per cent in 2019 to 87 per cent in 2021. Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, and Sri Lanka maintained their respective protection charges all through the pandemic, the assertion stated.

To revitalise routine immunisation protection following the Covid-19 pandemic, WHO convened a South-East Asia Regional Working Group on Immunization in March this 12 months, specializing in programme intensification, it stated.

Strengthening catch-up campaigns, monitoring unvaccinated and under-vaccinated youngsters, combining COVID-19 vaccination with routine immunisation, coaching well being staff and addressing issues of communities have been harassed, the assertion stated.

“WHO is aware of the efforts and supports the Member States to improve routine immunisation coverage. With stepped-up efforts in recent months, we hoped to see a quick scale-up of DTP3 coverage to the pre-pandemic level of 91 per cent in 2019 from 82 per cent in 2021 and second dose measles and rubella vaccine coverage to beyond 83 per cent in 2019 from 78 per cent in 2021,” Dr Khetrapal stated.

NEW DELHI: The World Health Organisation (WHO) on Saturday referred to as for extra vital steps within the South-East Asia Region to revive common immunisation charges to pre-Covid instances, stressing that regardless of concerted efforts by international locations, challenges and gaps persist. 

Highlighting India’s routine immunisation protection, the world well being physique stated that decline was witnessed in 2020. However, it added that in 2021, India offered near 2 billion doses of Covid-19 and different childhood vaccines taken collectively, over 5 instances extra vaccines administered within the nation through the 12 months than in 2020. 

Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh, Regional Director WHO South-East Asia, recommended the area for administering a billion doses of Covid-19 vaccines to this point since January 2021, when the primary dose of vaccine was issued within the area.

“As we focus on further scaling up Covid-19 vaccination coverage, we must also do all we can to ensure no child is deprived of life-saving vaccines offered under routine immunisation services,” she added.

Many counties have demonstrated that routine immunisation will be maintained or scaled up together with Covid-19 vaccination, she stated.

“This speaks for a very committed health workforce which has to manage considerable challenges.”

Though India noticed a decline in routine immunisation in 2020, it picked up subsequently.

In India, periodic intensification of routine immunisation is carried out by way of ‘Mission Indradhanush’. WHO has supported detailed mapping and categorisation of low protection areas in states, guiding brief and medium-term plans to enhance protection in all such locations, the assertion added. Bangladesh, Maldives, Sri Lanka and Thailand maintained excessive vaccination charges of over 95 per cent DTP3 protection all through the Covid -19 pandemic.

Bhutan witnessed a slight decline in 2020 however surpassed its pre-pandemic protection of 97 per cent to 98 per cent DTP3 in 2021, a press release stated.

Globally, DTP3 (third dose of vaccines for diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis) in one-year-old youngsters is a proxy indicator for immunisation protection, it stated.

Nepal considerably revived routine immunisation protection for DTP3 from 84 per cent in 2020 to 91 per cent in 2021. These six international locations have additionally achieved excessive COVID-19 vaccination protection, it stated.

All international locations within the South-East Asia Region targeted on routine immunisation whereas prioritising important providers through the pandemic and concerted efforts proceed to be made to scale-up vaccination protection, specializing in figuring out and vaccinating ‘missed youngsters’, the world well being physique stated.

Efforts for measles and rubella elimination, a flagship precedence within the Region, continued through the pandemic. Nepal considerably elevated the protection for the second dose of measles and rubella vaccine from 76 per cent in 2019 to 87 per cent in 2021. Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, and Sri Lanka maintained their respective protection charges all through the pandemic, the assertion stated.

To revitalise routine immunisation protection following the Covid-19 pandemic, WHO convened a South-East Asia Regional Working Group on Immunization in March this 12 months, specializing in programme intensification, it stated.

Strengthening catch-up campaigns, monitoring unvaccinated and under-vaccinated youngsters, combining COVID-19 vaccination with routine immunisation, coaching well being staff and addressing issues of communities have been harassed, the assertion stated.

“WHO is aware of the efforts and supports the Member States to improve routine immunisation coverage. With stepped-up efforts in recent months, we hoped to see a quick scale-up of DTP3 coverage to the pre-pandemic level of 91 per cent in 2019 from 82 per cent in 2021 and second dose measles and rubella vaccine coverage to beyond 83 per cent in 2019 from 78 per cent in 2021,” Dr Khetrapal stated.