Nepali gov't to launch Immunization Year in 2012

In what seems to be one of the best moves by the government to protect thousands of newborns in Nepal from many childhood diseases, the Ministry of Health and Population is launching an aggressive routine immunization program in 2012, also the Immunization Year. According to Wednesday's The Kathmandu Post, the move comes in line with the government's plan to increase the coverage of the routine immunization program. Currently, nine vaccines are administered to the newborns below one year of age. Also the vaccine for Japanese Encephalitis is given to children of over two, in high risk districts and TT vaccines are given to pregnant women.   "The National Demographic Health Survey (NDHS) 2011 has shown that 87 percent of children throughout the country have been vaccinated. Now the government has shifted its focus on those children who haven't been vaccinated," Dr. Shyam Raj Upreti, director at the Child Health Division under the Department of Health Services was quoted by the daily as saying. The NDHS 2011 has shown that 3 percent of children in the country haven't received none of these vaccines despite the government making them free of cost. Every year 660,000 babies are born in Nepal and we have targeted to immunize all of them, Upreti said. The government has planned to achieve and maintain at least 90 percent vaccination coverage by 2016 in its comprehensive multi- year immunization plan 2011-16.