Children to get vaccinated against typhoid at school

A vaccination campaign against typhoid, which is a public health problem in Gandaki, will be launched while the vaccination program against the COVID-19 epidemic continues.

 Five lakh 60 thousand 227 children from 11 districts of the state are being vaccinated against typhoid for the first time under the national vaccination program. According to the State Health Directorate, Pokhara, the vaccination program will be conducted from April 6 to 10 as per the target of the multi-year vaccination action plan 2018-22.

 The typhoid vaccine is being given to children between the ages of 15 months and 15 years. Dr. Khim Bahadur Khadka, director of the directorate, informed that one person will be given 0.5 milliliters (ml) of the vaccine in the form of colorless preparation solution containing five doses. According to him, the training of health workers in 11 districts will be conducted from March 29 - 30.

 It is said that the vaccine will reach all the districts from April 6 to 7. Director Dr. Khadka said that arrangements will be made to vaccinate every school.

 He said, “Since a large part of the age group to be vaccinated in this vaccination campaign will be in schools, the vaccination program will be conducted in all the ward schools for the convenience of the children. At the same time, we will make arrangements for vaccination at the ward office and, if necessary, at the health facility. ”

 The effectiveness of typhoid vaccine is said to be 96.97 percent. Dr. Roshan Neupane, director of the Health Supply Management Department of the Health Directorate, Gandaki, said that the vaccine does not cause any problem even if there are problems like redness, itching and general fever.

  As it is said that one person in a million may have complications, emergency medicine is also provided for immediate treatment in case of such unforeseen incidents. The vaccine is believed to be effective in preventing typhoid. According to the World Health Organization, typhoid infects 20 million people worldwide each year. Of them, about 161,000 have lost their lives.

 In Nepal, typhoid has an infection rate of 1,062 per 100,000 people, while children under the age of 15 have an infection rate of 10,960 per 100,000.