'If infants aren't vaccinated soon, we could be in trouble'

The COVID19 pandemic and the subsequent lockdown has impacted the vaccination process for newborn babies and infants exposing them to lifethreatening diseases like polio measles German measles whooping cough diphtheria etc which has become a matter of concern for healthcare experts They believe that the need of the hour is to start the immunisation processProcess should startSpeaking to midday Dr Fazal Nabi director of paediatric department Jaslok hospital said We cannot miss out on the immunisation process for a long time especially when it comes to the gap between two primary dosages This will only compromise the immunity response to any infection that the baby may be exposed toThe BMC must now make arrangements to set up vaccination centres for infants and newborns at primary healthcare units and dispensaries he added Dr Nabi said that further delay in starting the process might turn it into a bigger challenge than COVID19Dr Wiqar Shaikh senior allergy and asthma specialist said Approximately 26 million children are born in India every year and without vaccination they are susceptible to lifethreatening diseases The pandemic has affected Indias healthcare services and Asha workers and community health workers who once used to work for the immunisation process are now focused on COVID19 containment This will lead to an unacceptable drop in the percentage of immunised children and may trigger an outbreak of diseases which could be more dangerous than COVID19He added A study conducted by WHO on 129 countries has revealed that the disruption of the vaccination process will put 80 million new born babies at risk of getting communicable diseases Over 117 million children 1 to 10 years in 13 countries are expected to miss out on lifesaving vaccines particularly the one for measles The need of the hour is to start housetohouse surveys and provide the required vaccines to the children at the earliestMandatory vaccinesDr Deepti Dongaonkar former dean of Nagpur Latur and Miraj government medical colleges said These vaccines are mandatory for children and they need to be taken since the time of birth at intervals of six weeks 10 weeks 14 weeks and thereafter She further said that the government should continue with COVID19 treatment at designated hospitals but allow peripheral centres and dispensaries to start the vaccination process for infants Moreover NGOs should also join hands to start the process so that a large number of children can be given vaccines within a short span of time This should continue for a year or two till the COVID19 situation is under controlDr Biswa Panda paediatric cardiac surgeon Wadia hospital said The infants who have missed out on their routine vaccines need to be provided the same at the earliest Dr Ketan Vagholkar professor of surgery at DY Patil Medical said The immunisation process all over the world has come to a standstill especially in the middle and low income countries This has increased the risk of developing vaccinepreventable diseases such as measles diphtheria and whooping cough As socialdistancing norms have been relaxed children who havent been vaccinated will be more vulnerable to such diseases Coordinated efforts between healthcare providers and public health officials at district city and state levels are required Vagholkar further said that the majority of the paediatric experts were of the view that vaccines could be given to children at the earliest This would undoubtedly protect those who are vulnerable before they start going to school again This calls for reinforcement of primary healthcare centres across the state and nation in addition to NGOs and voluntary organisations who are actively involved in the immunisation process he concludedWork at the ground level has already startedDr Nitin ShahIN an interview with midday Dr Nitin Shah former president of Indian Academy of Paediatrics and section head paediatrics P D Hinduja Hospital said The pandemic has impacted the immunisation process for newborns and infants On an average around 2528 million babies are born every year in India which is approximately 550 lakh babies per week For the lockdown period of eight weeks we are referring to around 40 lakh newborns who may have missed out on their vaccines Apart from newborns infants too might have missed out on flu and typhoid measles mumps rubella and hepatitis vaccines and booster shotsIs it true that the immunization of new born and children is impacted due to the Covid pandemic and subsequent lock down if yes howCovid pandemic has indeed impacted the immunization of newborn and infants On an average around 2528 million birth take place yearly in India which is approximate 550 lakh baby per week and during the lockdown period of 8 weeks we are referring to around 40 lakhs newborn who may have missed out on their 6 weeks 10 weeks and 14 weeks of primary immunization Some might have got their basic three birth dose vaccines soon before their discharge from the hospital after deliveryApart from newborn the infants too might have missed out on their influenza vaccine amp typhoid vaccine to be taken at six months Measles Mumps and Rubella vaccine at nine months hepatitis vaccine for 1 year old and boosters for fifteen months onwards all might have missed out during the pandemic and subsequent lock down Moreover it has been seen that even parents were reluctant to come out during the initial phase of unlockWhat does it mean for not giving these vaccines to the infants soon after birth 6 weeks 10 week and 14 weeks and how does it affect themThe first three primary vaccine cover the six antigens besides BCG Oral polio and Hepatitis B given at birth Also the triple vaccine ndash hepatitis B diphtheria and whooping cough are a must to be given Whooping cough can lead to pneumonia in your infants and in case of any injury the child can develop tetanus if he has not taken tetanus injection and hepatitis B is given to protect the child from any hepatitis B related liver disease which will become manifest usually when the child become 1020 years of age and nonreceipt of the vaccines would only expose them to further infectious diseases which could be life threateningWhat are the measures that the government BMC should be taking to begin the immunization programThe state government and BMC has already started their work at ground level to begin the immunisation programs with the help of their surveillance medical team also they have roped in private paediatricians and aangan wadi workers also messages are being sent out to parents to ensure that they are not missing on giving vaccinations to their new born and infantsYour advice to parents on getting their infants and children vaccinated during covid pandemic and what safety measures they can takeWe must understand that we will have to live with covid for some more time and in the process we should not miss out on vaccinating the infants and older children as it could expose them to vaccine preventable diseases We have to ensure that the regular hand washing and sanitizing maintaining social distance wearing appropriate mask would be a daily way of living The paediatric clinics and dispensaries have been directed to maintain the basic hygiene and social distancing practice in place so that the parents need not bother about any infection spreading to their infants and children by visiting these centres for taking vaccine Moreover the Indian Academy of Paediatrics IAP have come out with a detailed guidelines program for parents to adhere to amidst covid pandemic wwwacivporg or wwwiapindiaorgStrong measuresThe healthcare experts said that WHO and UNICEF have taken a very strong initiative to counter the vaccination challenge The steps that have been taken arehellipRestoring immunisation camps and enabling routine immunisation in a safe manner by following COVID19 preventive measuresHelping healthcare workers communicate actively with caregivers to explain how services are reconfigured and ensure safety of the parents and children as wellRectifying and covering all immunisation campsExpanding routine immunisation services as quickly as possible in order to reach out to all sections of the society with special focus on missed communities where some of the most vulnerable children live such as slums and villagesCatch up on all the latest Mumbai news crime news current affairs and a complete guide from food to things to do and events across Mumbai Also download the new midday Android and iOS apps to get latest updates MidDay is now on Telegram Click here to join our channel middayinfomedialtd and stay updated with the latest news