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Indigenous vaccine for Pneumonia
Why is it in news?
- The Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) has approved the first fully indigenously developed conjugate vaccine for pneumonia (Pneumococcal Polysaccharide).
- The vaccine is developed by the Serum Institute of India Pvt. Ltd, Pune.
Details:
- This vaccine is used for active immunisation against invasive disease and pneumonia caused by “streptococcus pneumonia” in infants.
Data:
- According to a November 2019 UNICEF report, pneumonia caused 1,27,000 deaths in India in 2018.
- It is the second highest number of child mortality under the age of five in the world.
- In India, pneumonia and diarrhoea cause the most deaths in children under five years.
About Pneumonia:
- Pneumonia is an infection in one or both lungs.
- It is caused by Bacteria, viruses, and fungi.
- The infection causes inflammation in the air sacs in your lungs, which are called alveoli.
- The alveoli fill with fluid or pus, making it difficult to breathe.
- There are also a few noninfectious types of pneumonia that are caused by inhaling or aspirating foreign matter or toxic substances into the lungs.