Mumps vaccine in NIP from mid-2011

Disna Mudalige

The mumps vaccine will be included into the National Immunization Program (NIP) from mid 2011, said Health Ministry Consultant Epidemiologist Dr Sudath Peiris. He was addressing a public seminar on Vaccines at the Public Library Auditorium yesterday.

This vaccine will be introduced as a combine vaccine for Measles, Mumps and Rubella (MMR). The MMR vaccine will be given free of charge to all children in the country under the NIP. NIP covers only mumps and rubella. The MMR contains two injections and the first one should be given when a child completes one year. The Health Ministry has still not decided on the age limit for the second injection. There are 70 infectious diseases for humans. High quality vaccines have been introduced to immune 32 such diseases. The NIP will include immunization for 12 such diseases with the new addition.

“The Government spends a large sum for immunization programs annually to improve the health standard of the country. Over 400,000 babies are born annually in the country. A huge amount is spent on vaccines considering the effectiveness of those vaccines to prevent deaths and illnesses caused due to infectious diseases,” Dr Peiris said.

He said that no polio patient was recorded in Sri Lanka for the last 18 years due to the continuous vaccination of polio through the NIP. The last polio patient was reported in 1993, he said.

“The new generation has not even heard of some of the infectious diseases which were commonly in the country in the past days. Therefore we see a decline of interest among parents to vaccinate their children. It is important vaccinate. Otherwise there could be an outbreak of infectious diseases once again,” he noted.

Dr Peiris also pointed out that Sri Lanka has an excellent immunization program compared with other countries. The NIP can be attributed 50 percent credit for the lower infant mortality rates in the country. The age limits for vaccines are decided only after serious scientific and technological studies and therefore giving these vaccines at the correct age is important, he added.

Colombo University Paediatrics Emeritus Prof Sanath Lamabadusuriya revealed that a new Japanese Encephalitis vaccine with one injection is introduced to replace three to four course vaccine given earlier. He said that this new injection can be taken from Government hospitals and it is still not available on private medical institutions.