More than 110 million children in India aged younger than 5 years have diarrhea, with an average of 3.2 episodes a year. It’s estimated that 7% to 8% of community-based episodes are due to rotavirus—a total of 25 million to 28 million episodes in young children a year, according to…
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Rotavirus is a leading cause of severe infant diarrhea, causing an estimated 100,000 deaths each year in India, according to the World Health Organization. While most young children in the world contract rotavirus at some point in their early childhood, the disease course is usually much more severe for children…
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Worldwide, the incidence of measles has fallen dramatically, from 4.6 cases per 1,000 people in 2000, to 1.6 cases per 1,000 in 2010, according to a newly issued report. Improvements in measles outcomes have not been keeping pace in India, however. “…The practicing pediatrician should scan through the vaccination card…
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While rubella is a mild disease, if a pregnant woman contracts it the fetus could develop congenital rubella syndrome (CRS), which can cause blindness, deafness, mental handicap, and other problems. Immunization of the mother before she becomes pregnant can eliminate this risk. A systematic review published in Indian Pediatrics found…
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Recent surveys have found that nationally, only 61% of children aged 12 months to 23 months have received all 6 vaccines included in India’s Universal Immunization Program (UIP). Some surveys have reported even lower figures, especially in specific regions of the country. Key Point: Bringing immunization delivery points into the…
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When India was struck from the list of polio-endemic countries by the World Health Organization (WHO) in February 2012, the hard-won designation was one of India’s greatest public health accomplishments. Now, the focus has shifted from achieving eradication to maintaining it. “It was an important accomplishment for India to be…
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Top immunization myths: Educating your patients
Introduction Immunization remains one of the most successful methods for the control and eradication of infectious disease all over the world. It is because of immunization that we have eliminated smallpox and are close to eliminating polio. Many deadly diseases, like measles, tetanus and diphtheria, are now killing far fewer…
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