National Vaccination Day – March 16
National Vaccination Day is observed annually on 16th March in India. It is a day celebrated to make people aware of the importance of timely vaccination for preventable diseases. There are many diseases, which, if not vaccinated at the right time, can take the form of a fatal disease.
Most of the population in India is not aware of it and about vaccination. Due to a lack of awareness among people, many children and pregnant women in our country are not able to get vaccinations on time. This proves to be fatal for their health so every year with the help of National Vaccination Day people is informed about the need and requirements of vaccination.
The Government of India celebrates National Vaccination Day every year to convey the importance of vaccination to the people of the country. In the year 1995, the first vaccination day was celebrated in our country. In fact, on 16 March this year, the Government of India started the ‘Pulse Poli Abhiyan‘ in the country. The government had targeted to eradicate polio from the country through this scheme. And ever since National Vaccination Day is celebrated on this day to mark the launch of the Pulse Polio Program. On this day, small children and pregnant women are vaccinated and people are told about the benefits of vaccination.
Observance of National Vaccination Day is an attempt by the Government to enhance the awareness for eradication of polio from the earth. Millions of children are immunized with the polio vaccine on this day.
What is Vaccination
Vaccination is the most effective method of preventing infectious diseases. With the help of vaccination, children are protected from dangerous diseases. Whenever a newborn is born, many types of vaccines are applied to it. So that he cannot get any fatal disease. Vaccination is used for the eradication of diseases like polio, smallpox, measles, and tetanus from the world. Hence Vaccination is one of the safest and most effective methods of preventing childhood diseases.
All types of diseases have different types of vaccination. Through immunization, the children’s body gets the strength to fight infectious diseases. Children who are vaccinated from time to time do not have any type of infectious disease. On the other hand, if a child is not vaccinated on time, then he or she may have many diseases.
How National Vaccination Day is Celebrated
Every year on National Vaccination Day, many types of health-related schemes are run by the government. Apart from this, vaccination is also given free of cost to the people. On this day special programs are organized from hospitals to schools.
Programs related to vaccination are organized in government hospitals and through these programs, people are told the characteristics of vaccination. Not only this, in many hospitals, small children are given polio medicine and other types of vaccines.
Young children whose age is up to 5 years are given polio medication. Children are also given information about how to avoid diseases. There are many villages in India where people do not have awareness about vaccination. In such a situation, the state governments send doctors teams to the villages of their state. So that they can make people aware of vaccination. Apart from this, polio medicine is also given to the children of villages.
Suggested Read: World Polio Day
Why vaccination is necessary
Actually, the immunity system through immunization gives strength to fight dangerous diseases. Therefore, every child’s parents are advised by their doctors to get their children vaccinated. Because the immune system of young children is weak.
Vaccination as per the National Immunization schedule by the Government of India
Hep B Birth dose
(To be given at the place of delivery)
|6 Weeks||OPV1, Penta1(DPT+HepB+HiB)|
|10 Weeks||OPV2, Penta2(DPT+HepB+HiB)|
|14 Weeks||OPV3, Penta3(DPT+HepB+HiB), IPV|
|9 Months||MMR-1, /MR/Measles, JE Vaccine-1|
DPT 1st Booster,
|5-6 Years||DPT 2nd Booster|