New typhoid vaccine not to be part of EPI in K-P

The provincial health department is unable to procure the latest typhoid vaccine due to the coronavirus emergency.

As a result, the new typhoid conjugate vaccine is unlikely to be included in children’s immunisation program this year too in K-P.

Sources told The Express Tribune that in 63 per cent of the cases of typhoid in the country, 70 per cent of the deaths were of children under the age of 15. Due to this, the Ministry of Health has decided to include typhoid vaccine in the official vaccination of children.

Under this scheme, the vaccine had been introduced in Sindh initially. Last year, a new vaccine was set to be introduced in K-P but it is now being reported that the new typhoid conjugate vaccine has become rare in the global market due to the prevailing Covid-19 pandemic.

Due to this, the Ministry of Health has given the available stock of the vaccine to the province of Punjab and a new October schedule has been given for the introduction of the vaccine in K-P.

However, sources said that the new vaccine could not be included in the EPI programme in October as well.

Training will be provided to vaccinators before the vaccine is introduced and after that it will take time for the vaccine to be transferred to the districts.

According to health department sources, arrangements will also be made in the provincial warehouse and divisional warehouse for storing the vaccine.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 25^th, 2021.