Imagine a world where preventable diseases no longer exist—a world where children grow up without the fear of polio, measles, or hepatitis. This vision is what National Immunization Day (NID) in India strives to achieve. It’s not just a date on the calendar; it’s a movement dedicated to safeguarding public health and ensuring that no one is left behind in the fight against infectious diseases.
National Immunization Day is celebrated every year in India on March 16 as a part of the Pulse Polio immunization campaign in the country. National Immunisation Day is a campaign to raise awareness among people about the relevance of immunisation in humans, particularly in children and the immunocompromised. This day is observed globally, where countries carry out mass immunisation in their countries, share information and awareness of vaccines, and building the healthcare infrastructure that ensures vaccines are accessible.
Importance of National Immunisation Day
- Vaccine-preventable diseases such as polio, measles, diphtheria and hepatitis can all be controlled, even eradicated, if immunisation is timely.
- Building Awareness: Making people aware of the importance of vaccines and immunisation and the common myths surrounding it.
- Vaccine Coverage: Ensuring every child and every person has the necessary vaccinations against life-threatening diseases.
- Encouraging Community Participation: Engaging health Workers, Volunteers and Local authorities to conduct successful vaccination drives.
Why is Immunisation Crucial?
Vaccination is an effective and low-cost way of preventing infectious disease. It has played a significant role in controlling outbreaks, reducing mortality rates, and improving overall quality of life. Here are some key reasons why immunisation is vital:
- Way to Avoid Sever Illnesses: Vaccines prevent life-threatening illnesses like polio, TB, tetanus, flu, and COVID-19. It is most important to develop strong immunity at an early age – hence the need for childhood immunisation.
- Community herd immunity: If a large enough fraction of the population is vaccinated, it protects those who medically cannot be vaccinated. This phenomenon is called herd immunity, preventing outbreaks and providing protection to the communities.
- Lower Healthcare Costs: By saving their people from illnesses with vaccines, countries ease the strain on their healthcare services. Immunisation can be expensive, but it prevents many life-threatening infections from being hospitalised, thereby reducing both hospitalization and medical costs
- Humanity in Sickness and Health: Thanks to immunisation efforts, diseases such as smallpox have been eradicated. Continued vaccination programs have also significantly reduced the prevalence of polio, measles, and rubella in many regions.
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Key Vaccination Programs and Their Impact
In order to immunize all, a large number of governments and international organisations have initiated vaccination programs. Some notable ones include:
- Polio Immunisation Programme (Pulse Polio): This initiative seeks the eradication of polio through the use of Oral Polio Vaccines (OPV) given to children aged below 5 years. These measures have resulted in an unprecedented decline in the incidence of the disease across the globe.
- Universal Immunization Programme (UIP): This program initiative by the government provides vaccines t for tuberculosis, measles, hepatitis B and tetanus to children and pregnant women so as to lower infant and maternal deaths.
- COVID-19 vaccination campaigns: The global effort to combat COVID-19 through large-scale vaccination campaigns has been one of the most extensive immunisation programs in history
- HPV Vaccination for Cancer Prevention: The Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine protects against cervical cancer, the second commonest cause of death from cancer among women around the world. The global burden of HPV-related diseases can be alleviated through immunisation efforts.
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Forward thinking: A world without preventable diseases
National Immunisation Day serves as a reminder that the world has witnessed remarkable improvement in the overall health of populations due to the decline in the rates of transmission caused by infectious diseases as a result of vaccination. With each new vaccine developed, and each expanded program, we come closer to a world in which preventable diseases are no longer a major threat.
Today, we act; we get vaccinated, we inform others, we help support immunisation programs; today we contribute to a world that is free of diseases and a world that is healthier. One shot at a time, together we can save lives!
