Why in news?
- The Ministry of Health drew up an ambitious plan with a 100-day agenda to offer each infant rotavirus vaccine throughout all States and Union Territories by September 2019.
- The Rotavac vaccine has been developed indigenously by the Ministries of Science, Technology and Health and Family Welfare under public-private partnership (PPP).
What is Rota Virus?
- Rotavirus is the leading cause of extreme diarrhoea and death of children under the age of five, up to 10 percent every year of overall infant mortality.
- The virus is transmitted by the faecal-oral route.
- It infects and damages the cells that line the small intestine and causes gastroenteritis.
- Nausea, cramps, cough and cold, running nose, dehydration are symptoms.
- In adults there are usually no symptoms and it is highly contagious in nature.
- Rotavirus diarrhoea presents in a similar manner like any other diarrhoea but can mainly be prevented through rotavirus vaccination.
- Other diarrhoea can be prevented through general measures like good hygiene, frequent hand washing, safe water and safe food consumption, exclusive breastfeeding and vitamin A supplementation.
- Three doses of Rotavirus vaccine (RV) has been included in the Universal Immunization Programme (UIP).
