National Vaccination Day: Date, History and Significance of the day

National Vaccination Day, also known as Immunization Day or Polio Ravivar, is an annual event celebrated in India on March 16th. The day is observed to promote vaccination campaigns and raise awareness about the importance of vaccines in preventing infectious diseases.

History:

The first National Vaccination Day was celebrated in India in 1995 to eradicate polio from the country. Since then, it has become an important event in India's public health calendar.

Significance:

On this day, the Indian government and various organisations conduct vaccination drives across the country to immunise children and adults against various diseases. The focus is on providing vaccines to those who may have missed their scheduled immunisations.


National Vaccination Day is also an opportunity to educate people about the benefits of vaccination and dispel any myths or misconceptions about vaccines. Through awareness campaigns, the public is made aware of the importance of timely and complete immunisation to prevent the spread of diseases.


The government of India launched Mission Indradhanush in 2014 to ensure full immunisation with all available vaccines for children up to two years of age and pregnant women. India is moving towards the eradication of measles and rubella and has set a target of 2023 for covering children and pregnant women. Measles kills more than a lakh children globally and Rubella causes birth defects. Both can be prevented by Vaccines.


In recent years, National Vaccination Day has gained even more significance due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The Indian government has been promoting vaccination campaigns to protect the population from the virus and prevent the spread of the disease.

FAQ

1. Under Mission Indradhanush, which Vaccines are covered?
   It provides vaccination against Diphtheria, Whooping Cough, Tetanus, Polio, Tuberculosis, Hepatitis B, Meningitis and Pneumonia, Haemophilus Influenzae Type B infections, Japanese Encephalitis (JE), Rotavirus, Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine (PCV) and Measles-Rubella (MR).

1. When was the last case of Polio detected in India?
   The last case was reported in 2011 and WHO declared India to be Polio free in 2014.