PTI
New Delhi
The Tetanus and Adult Diphtheria (Td) vaccine will be launched on Saturday by Union Health Minister JP Nadda at the Central Research Institute (CRI) in Kasauli, Himachal Pradesh.
Extensive scientific evidence indicates that widespread childhood immunisation with the DPT group of vaccines has significantly reduced the incidence of diphtheria and tetanus in many countries, a health ministry statement said.
However, antibody levels may decline over time, especially in the case of diphtheria, necessitating booster doses. In view of this, in 2006, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommended that countries transition from the Tetanus Toxoid (TT) vaccine to the Td vaccine.
This recommendation was reaffirmed in the WHO Tetanus Vaccine Position Paper (2017) and through deliberations of the Strategic Advisory Group of Experts (SAGE) in 2002 and 2016, the statement said.
The National Technical Advisory Group on Immunization (NTAGI), Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, has also recommended replacing the TT vaccine with the Td vaccine in India’s immunisation programme for all age groups, including pregnant women.
This transition aims to extend and strengthen protection against diphtheria in addition to tetanus, while sustaining the gains achieved in maternal and neonatal tetanus elimination and routine immunisation activities, the
statement said.
To support this initiative, the Central Research Institute (CRI) has undertaken the manufacturing of
the Td vaccine.
The vaccine is now ready for launch and supply under the Universal Immunization Programme (UIP), the statement said.
Following the launch of the Td vaccine by Nadda, the CRI will supply 55 lakh doses to the UIP by April this year, the statement said.
The supply is expected to increase progressively in subsequent years to further strengthen the UIP of government of India.
Tetanus (T) is a serious disease that causes painful muscle stiffness and spasms and can lead to severe health complications, including inability to open the mouth (lockjaw) and difficulty in swallowing and breathing, and may result in death.
Diphtheria (D) is a potentially life-threatening infection that can cause breathing difficulties, heart failure, paralysis and death, the statement said.
The Td vaccine (tetanus and adult diphtheria vaccine – adsorbed, reduced D-Antigen content) protects against both tetanus and diphtheria, the statement said.
