Child Vaccination

Why in news?

• Two out of five children do not complete their immunisation programme, according to the ‘Health in India’ report recently published by the National Statistical Organisation (NSO).

Major Child Vaccinations:

• A child is considered to be fully immunised if she has received BCG, three doses of OPV, three shots of DPT vaccine and the measles vaccine.
• All these, if delivered on schedule, are within the child’s first year, with measles being the last.
• Measles Vaccine: It is given against measles, a is a highly contagious infectious viral disease.
• Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV): It is given against polio virus and requires three doses generally at intervals of four weeks.
• BCG Vaccine: It protects against a childhood attack of tuberculosis, a bacterial disease. BCG has a protective effect against leprosy also.
• DPT vaccine: It is a combination vaccine against three infectious diseases in humans: diphtheria, pertussis (whooping cough), and tetanus  

PRELIMS QUESTION

Which of the following diseases are preventable by DPT vaccine?
1.Diphtheria
2.Tetanus
3.Tuberculosis
4.Measles
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
(a)1 and 2 only
(b)2 and 3 only
(c)1 and 3 only
(d)1,2,3 and 4 

Answer to prelims question