National Vaccination Day, also known as National Immunization Day, is observed in India every year on March 16th. The day is of great significance as it marks the launch of the first dose of Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV) in India's Universal Immunization Program (UIP) on March 16, 1995.
Before the launch of the OPV, India was one of the countries with the highest number of polio cases in the world. The Pulse Polio Immunization Program (PPIP) was launched in 1985 to immunize children under the age of five against polio. The PPIP was initially carried out on a small scale and was later expanded to cover the entire country.
In 1995, India switched from the injectable polio vaccine (IPV) to the more effective and affordable Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV). The launch of the first dose of OPV on March 16, 1995, marked a significant milestone in India's fight against polio. Since then, the National Vaccination Day is observed every year to promote the importance of immunization and to encourage parents and caregivers to get their children vaccinated against preventable diseases.
India's sustained efforts to eradicate polio have been successful, and the country was declared polio-free in 2014. The National Vaccination Day is now an important day in India's public health calendar, and mass immunization campaigns are conducted on this day to reach out to children in remote and underserved areas. These campaigns are an integral part of India's efforts to promote the importance of vaccination and to ensure that every child receives lifesaving vaccines.
Apart from polio, the National Vaccination Day also focuses on promoting the importance of other vaccines such as measles, rubella, tetanus, diphtheria, and hepatitis B, among others. The government conducts these mass immunization campaigns as part of its commitment to eliminate vaccine-preventable diseases and to ensure that every child receives the essential vaccines they need to stay healthy.
In summary, the National Vaccination Day in India is a day to celebrate the country's success in eliminating polio and to promote the importance of vaccination to ensure that every child is protected against preventable diseases
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