Things to know about typhoid conjugate vaccine

KATHMANDU, April 6: The government is has announced to administer the Typhoid vaccine to children all across the country.

According to the government’s data, as many as 450,000 people have been found infected with typhoid.

According to the Department of Health Services, typhoid ranks third among food and water borne diseases in Nepal. Among those infected, most of them are children aged below 15 years old.

Similarly, as per a report of the Patan Academy of Health Sciences, around 62,000 people are found infected with typhoid out of 100,000 population. The study was conducted on 100,000 children. 

The World Health Organization (WHO) has recommended vaccination against typhoid in Nepal and the government has begun a vaccination drive accordingly.

What is the vaccine that is being administered to children against typhoid in Nepal?

The government is administering a typhoid vaccine to children aged between 15 months to 15 years for the first time from April 8 to May 1. Nepal is the first country to administer a typhoid vaccine to children in South Asia.

Typhoid conjugate vaccine (TCV), to be administered to minors in Nepal, is safe and is recommended by the WHO.

“Studies have shown that the typhoid conjugate vaccine is safe, effective, and can provide protection for infants and children under two years of age, unlike the previously available typhoid vaccines,” according to the WHO. “The recommendation for the typhoid conjugate vaccine to be included in routine immunization programs will help pave the way for national authorities to introduce this vaccine in countries where they are needed most.”

What is typhoid?

Typhoid fever is a life-threatening infection caused by the bacterium Salmonella Typhi. It is usually spread through contaminated food or water.

Symptoms include prolonged fever, fatigue, headache, nausea, abdominal pain, and constipation or diarrhea. Some patients may have a rash. Severe cases may lead to serious complications or even death.

Typhoid fever can be treated with antibiotics although increasing resistance to different types of antibiotics is making treatment more complicated.

Who shouldn’t receive the TCV?

- Those experiencing health complacies while receiving vaccines earlier

- Those having allergy problems 

- Those experiencing symptoms of HIV-AIDS

- Those experiencing high fevers