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‘Immunisation only way to reduce mortality’

LAHOREPakistan Paediatrics Association (PPA) President Prof Dr Tahir Masood said the immunisation was the only way that could reduce illness, disability, and mortality while safeguarding the children against deadly diseases that could be prevented through vaccines. In connection with the World Immunisation Week 2015 to be observed from April 24-30,

By our correspondents
April 25, 2015
LAHORE
Pakistan Paediatrics Association (PPA) President Prof Dr Tahir Masood said the immunisation was the only way that could reduce illness, disability, and mortality while safeguarding the children against deadly diseases that could be prevented through vaccines.
In connection with the World Immunisation Week 2015 to be observed from April 24-30, 2015, Prof Dr Tahir Masood, who is former Dean of Children’s Hospital Lahore, stated that one child in every 11 (87 per 1000 live births) born in Pakistan died before getting to the age of five and diseases preventable through vaccines were the cause for around one third of these child deaths.
Dr. Tahir said the awareness of immunisation among masses could play a significant role in reducing the number of deaths each year. ‘Preventive measures in the form of national immunisation programmes are one of the most successful and cost-effective health interventions which prevent two to three million deaths among children every year,’ he added.
Talking about the statistics, Dr. Asif Kaleem Sheikh, President PPA (Punjab chapter), said the Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI) was launched in 1978 in Pakistan which was funded by the WHO, UNICEF, GAVI, and other donor agencies, to provide vaccines for nine diseases including poliomyelitis, measles, pneumococcal disease, and diphtheria.
He emphasised that vaccination had helped stopping the spread of many infectious diseases such as smallpox, polio, measles, diphtheria, pertussis (whooping cough), rubella (German measles), mumps, tetanus, and Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib), that were once common around the world. ‘We must realise the importance of vaccines as we can also combat and reduce such infectious diseases in our part of the world through vaccination,’ he added.
Dr. Naeem Zafar, Vice President PPA, Punjab, while sharing his perspective on the importance of vaccination, said that most adults didn’t even realise that they needed to get vaccines. He stressed the fact that vaccines were not just for kids.
‘Far too many adults get ill, disabled or die each year from diseases like Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Cervical Cancer, Meningococcal, Typhoid, Influenza and chickenpox that could easily have been prevented by vaccines ,’ he added and appealed everyone from young adults to senior citizens to benefit from immunisation.
It is pertinent to mention that many vaccines are available free of cost at the EPI centres. Parents can get their children vaccinated at the nearest EPI centre to get protection from diseases preventable through vaccines.