Every year on March 16th, National Vaccination Day is observed all over India. It is also known as National Immunization Day. We have been observing this ‘Pulse Polio Program’ or ‘Pulse Polio Abhiyan’ since 16 March 1995 when the first dose of polio vaccine was given orally. The main aim to celebrate is to make people aware of the importance of the vaccination taken on time for keeping the preventable diseases at bay. There are various diseases that can become fatal if not vaccinated at the right time.
So every year, the Government of India makes people aware of the need and requirements of vaccination to eradicate polio from the country. On this day, pregnant women and millions of small children are vaccinated and immunised with this vaccine and told about the vaccination benefits.
Significance Of National Vaccination Day
The National Vaccination Day is one of the four strategies that WHO has recommended to prevent or eradicate polio completely. As per WHO, National Immunization Day or National Vaccination Day has to be conducted twice a year at a gap of two to four weeks. Two types of vaccines are administered in the country that includes Inactivated Polio Vaccine and Oral Polio Vaccine.
How National Vaccination Day Observed ?
Every year on this day, mass campaigns are run by the government, and supplemental doses of oral poliovirus vaccine are given free of cost to all children in a country to prevent the wild poliovirus transmission. Programs are organised from schools to hospitals, and through these programs people are informed about the vaccination characteristics.
Children up to 5 years of age are given polio medication. There are backward villages in India where people don’t have awareness about this vaccination. In such cases, state governments send doctors to rural areas in their state so that vaccination can be provided and make people aware of the vaccination too.
Conclusion: The importance of vaccination nowadays cannot be overstated. Vaccines are an effective way to prevent dangerous and fatal diseases known to man. Extensive vaccination campaigns like world vaccination day, international vaccination day etc, across the world has led to the eradication of dangerous and highly infectious diseases. The COVID-19 pandemic has made us realise the importance of vaccinations. All across the world there have been over 26 lakhs deaths due to Covid-19. National Vaccination Day 2021 is coming at the perfect time in India, as COVID 19 vaccines are being provided to the masses.
So, this National Vaccination Day 2021, as a responsible citizen of India, it is also our duty to do our part and make people aware of the importance of vaccinations and how vaccination day in government hospitals and schools is organised and how they have to be a part of it. What are you going to do this Vaccination Day 2021 to make most people aware and join this? Please feel free to share with us and our audience in the comments section below. So, they can also be a part of this wonderful campaign and make every child of India free from the diseases caused due to polio.
