Pakistan has become the first country to introduce the typhoid conjugate vaccine (TCV) into its routine immunisation programme.
The vaccine is set to be launched in Sindh in response to a typhoid outbreak that occurred in 2016.
According to a report in propakistani.pk, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister On Health said that children were disproportionately affected by typhoid and its associated complications, and that the government strongly believed that TCV would protect children against the potentially fatal disease of typhoid.
A phased national introduction strategy with strong, coordinated support from global and local partners is currently in the works to be introduced in Sindh.
The phased introduction will start with a two-week campaign with an aim to target 10.1 million children between the age of nine months and 15 years in more than 460 urban union councils of Sindh. The project will be carried out with funding from Gavi, The Vaccine Alliance.
The TCV campaign will be conducted from 18th to 30th November and will be followed by the vaccine being made part of the Routine Immunisation Programme in December.
TCV is a low cost one-dose vaccine and is expected to give immunity to receivers against drug resistant typhoid.
Gavi, The Vaccine Alliance CEA Dr Seth Berkley, during a press conference, said that the rise of drug-resistant typhoid posed a risk to everyone as it brought us back to levels of mortality not seen since the 19th century. Hence, he added, “Government of Pakistan deserves praise for being the first to introduce this lifesaver into its routine immunization programme.”
The vaccine is set to be launched in Sindh in response to a typhoid outbreak that occurred in 2016.
According to a report in propakistani.pk, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister On Health said that children were disproportionately affected by typhoid and its associated complications, and that the government strongly believed that TCV would protect children against the potentially fatal disease of typhoid.
A phased national introduction strategy with strong, coordinated support from global and local partners is currently in the works to be introduced in Sindh.
The phased introduction will start with a two-week campaign with an aim to target 10.1 million children between the age of nine months and 15 years in more than 460 urban union councils of Sindh. The project will be carried out with funding from Gavi, The Vaccine Alliance.
The TCV campaign will be conducted from 18th to 30th November and will be followed by the vaccine being made part of the Routine Immunisation Programme in December.
TCV is a low cost one-dose vaccine and is expected to give immunity to receivers against drug resistant typhoid.
Gavi, The Vaccine Alliance CEA Dr Seth Berkley, during a press conference, said that the rise of drug-resistant typhoid posed a risk to everyone as it brought us back to levels of mortality not seen since the 19th century. Hence, he added, “Government of Pakistan deserves praise for being the first to introduce this lifesaver into its routine immunization programme.”