Vaccination awareness planned as part of immunisation week

As immunisation week kick-starts from Friday, and will go on till April 30, experts have advocated the need for spreading awareness on adult vaccination. This year, as many as 46 people died in Mumbai due to swine flu. Doctors say going for influenza vaccination will bring down the morbidity and mortality rate in those having existing conditions, like diabetes and hypertension.

Infectious disease expert from Lilavati hospital Dr Vasant Nagvekar said, "People with co-morbid factors should get vaccinated in September. This will give them protection from influenza viruses for at least six months."
After swine flu cases increased in the city, there was a rise in demand for influenza vaccines.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) too plans to spread awareness on vaccination. Dr Mangala Gomare, in-charge of BMC's epidemiology cell, said plans are being made for the same. "Before the next swine flu bout, we are planning to come out with awareness material on vaccination for influenza," she added.

Apart from influenza vaccination, the other adult vaccinations include hepatitis A, hepatitis B, meningitis and the human papalloma virus that causes cervical cancer. "Prevention is always better than cure and vaccination is prevention. Preventive health care is yet to pick up in India. People are slowly getting to know about it," said Dr Jalil Parker, a physician at Lilavati hospital.

What you need to know

Influenza
An acute respiratory illness cause by influenza viruses, it affects the upper and/or lower respiratory tract and is often accompanied by systemic signs and symptoms, such as fever, headache, myelgia and weakness.
Vaccine needs to be taken once a year and costs Rs700.

Pneumococcal disease
The term refers to a group of clinical conditions caused by the bacterium Streptococcus pneumoniae. Invasive pneumococcal infections include pneumonia, meningitis and febrile bacteraemia; the common non-invasive conditions include otitis media, sinusitis and bronchitis. Infection is acquired by direct person-to-person contact via respiratory droplets or oral contact. There are many healthy, asymptomatic carriers of the bacteria, but there is no animal reservoir or insect vector.
Vaccine needs to be taken once in 19 years and costs Rs1,000.

Hepatitis A
Although hepatitis A is rarely fatal in children and young adults, most infected adults and some older children become ill and are unable to work for several weeks or months. The fatality rate exceeds 2% among those aged above 40 and may be 4% for those aged above 60.
The vaccine should be administered to those aged a year and above.
Vaccine to counter hepatitis B and C needs to be taken as a child. But if not taken, one can take it anytime. It costs Rs100-200.
Immunisation should be considered for patients with chronic liver disease as chronic hepatitis B or chronic hepatitis C, and for prevention of secondary cases in close contact of confirmed cases of hepatitis A, within 7 days of onset of disease in the primary case.

Human papillomavirus (HPV)
It's a family of viruses common all over the world. Although most HPV infections cause no symptoms and are self-limited, persistent genital HPV infection can cause cervical cancer in women (as well as other types of anogenital cancers, head and neck cancers, and genital warts in both men and women). Oncogenic HPV serotypes 16 and 18 account for 70% cases of cervical cancer. They have also been implicated in the causation of vulvar, vaginal, penile and oropharyngeal cancers. Nononcogenic HPV serotypes 6 and 11 are responsible for more than 90% of anogenital warts.
Three doses of the vaccine need to be given to women between the ages of 19 and 49.