Haryana first to provide free PCV vaccine

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, July 13

Haryana is the first state to include pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) in its immunisation schedule from the state budget as Atal Jeevan Rakshak Teekakarana Yojana under Swarn Jayanti Yojana.

This was stated during the two-day state-level workshop on PCV conducted by the National Health Mission, Haryana, here on Friday.

Principal Secretary (Health) Raj Sekhar Vundru said, “To protect children from more and more new vaccine preventable diseases and reaching the goal of zero preventable childhood deaths, the Haryana government has decided to introduce PCV vaccine also as a state initiative in accordance with the government’s resolve to strengthen routine immunisation coverage and services which will ensure a healthy future for children.”

He said it was a costly vaccine which was available in the market for around Rs 3,000-4,000 per dose. Two doses and one booster would be given at the age of six weeks, 14 weeks and nine months to all children in the state.