Government of West Bengal

Department of Health and Family Welfare

State Family Welfare Bureau
Wing A, 3rd. Floor, Swasthya Bhaban
GN 29, Sector V, Salt Lake, Kolkata-700091

Memo No. : H/SFWB/13I-1-2012/3958 Date: 15/01/2015

From : Commissioner (Family Welfare),

West Bengal

To : 1. The District Magistrate (All)

2. The Chief Medical Officer of Health (All)
3. The DFWO , Kolkata

Sub: District level inauguration of Pentavalent launching programme.

Sir/Madam,

The Honble MOS, H& FW, Govt. of West Bengal Smt. Chandrima Bhattacharya will
introduce the pentavalent vaccine under Routine immunization programme in the state of
West Bengal on 16.1.15 through a formal ceremony at Swasthya Bhawan.
You are requested to organize a formal launching ceremony on similar lines in your
district in presence of local dignitaries. The press release as enclosed with this letter may be
shared with the local press at the ceremony. Please ensure that pentavalent vaccine is
effectively incorporated with Routine Immunization programme in your district from
16.0.12015.

Commissioner (FW)
West Bengal

Memo No. : H/SFWB/13I-1-2012/3958/1(3) Date: 15/01/2015

Copy to :-
1. Director of Health Service & e.o. Secretary, Dept. of H & FW, Govt. Of WB
2. Jt. DHS (FW) & SFWO, Dept. of H & FW, Govt of WB
3. PA to Principal Secretary, Dept. of H & FW, Govt. of WB

C
o
m
missioner (FW)
West Bengal
Press Release: 16th January, 2015

New Years Gift to Children: West Bengal introduces Pentavalent Vaccine

The State of West Bengal is introducing Pentavalent Vaccine as part of the Universal
Immunisation Programme. Smt. Chandrima Bhattacharya the Honble Minister of State,
Health & Family Welfare, Government of West Bengal officially launched Pentavalent
Vaccine as part of the immunization schedule in a ceremony held at Swasthya Bhawan on
16th January, 2015. Henceforth, Pentavalent vaccine will be available free of cost from all
Government hospitals, health centres and sub centres of the state and protect children from
five major killer diseases.

Pentavalent vaccine is a combination of antigens protecting children against five infections

including Diphtheria, Pertussis and Tetanus (DPT), Hepatitis B and Haemophilus Influenza
Type B (Hib) in a single shot. While DPT and Hepatitis B vaccines are already part of the
Immunization Schedule for children, the Hib vaccine is the new component included in
pentavalent vaccine.

Pneumonia is the largest killer among young children and contributes to 16% of mortality
among 1-59 months old children in India. Available data on Hib diseases indicates that Hib is
one of the leading causes of meningitis and pneumonia in children in India. Hib diseases kill
nearly 72,000 children in India annually and cause around 3,000,000 serious Hib disease
cases.
Introduction of Pentavalent vaccine will now give children better opportunity for survival by
protecting them against deadly diseases like pneumonia and meningitis. The Pentavalent
vaccination programme aims to save lives of 72000 children in the country and prevent
suffering amongst lakhs. The introduction of vaccine in the Universal Immunization
Programme is expected to reduce child mortality in India by four percentage point.
Moreover, introduction of pentavalent vaccine will not only provide extra protection to
children but also reduce the number of injections that a child will receive to complete his or
her routine immunization. This makes for operational simplicity and higher community
acceptance.

Pentavalent vaccine is qualified by WHO and is in use for more than 20 years in nearly 180
countries. Government of India has approved inclusion of pentavalent vaccine in the
Universal Immunization Programme and the vaccine is already being given to children in
states like Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Haryana, Gujarat, J&K, and Pondicherry etc. More than 160
million doses of Hib-containing pentavalent vaccine were distributed worldwide in 2012,
including approximately 90 million doses manufactured in India. The vaccine has an
excellent safety record that is well researched and published.

Pentavalent vaccine will henceforth replace DPT and Hepatitis B vaccines in the UIP
vaccination schedule. All children, in their first year of life, will receive three doses of the
pentavalent vaccine with an interval of at least four weeks between them. Approximately
15 lakh infants will benefit from this vaccine this year and every year in the state.