National Vaccination Day is an annual observance in India that highlights the importance of vaccination. The day is celebrated on March 16 every year to commemorate the launch of the Pulse Polio Immunisation program. Vaccination is a vital aspect of public health. It helps to protect individuals and communities from infectious diseases.
This scientific marvel has played a significant role in reducing the prevalence of several life-threatening diseases, such as polio, measles, rubella, and tetanus. National Vaccination Day serves as a reminder of getting vaccinated and highlights the benefits of immunization for individuals and society.
National Vaccination Day: History
The Government of India has designated March 16 as National Vaccination Day, to be commemorated each year. This date was first officially celebrated in 1995, after the initiation of the Pulse Polio Immunization program. The first dose of the Oral Polio Vaccine was given on this day in 1995 as part of the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Global Polio Eradication Initiative, which began in 1988.
Children aged 0-5 years received two drops of the vaccine orally at public health centres. Although the vaccination against polio had already commenced in 1978, India was declared polio-free by the WHO on March 27, 2014.
National Vaccination Day: Significance
This day draws attention to how vaccines and immunization programs are crucial for saving lives. People in the world can live healthy lives due to these programs. Moreover, National Vaccination Day also talks about the remarkable human achievements that are the development of vaccines.
In recognition of this, the day is also marked as the perfect opportunity to thank researchers, scientists, and healthcare workers who ensure people can get these vaccines. It is in recognition of their tireless efforts to develop vaccines that save countless lives that National Vaccination Day is marked.
Furthermore, the day also provides an opportunity to raise awareness about the availability and accessibility of vaccines and encourages people to take advantage of vaccination programs to protect themselves and their families from preventable diseases.
National Vaccination Day: Quotes
- If you want to save your child from polio, you can pray or you can inoculate. … Choose science. ― Carl Sagan
- It’s important for children to be vaccinated so that they have the opportunity to become adults. ― Brad McKay
- Misinformation or distrust of vaccines can be like a contagion that can spread as fast as measles. — Theresa Tam
- With infectious disease, without vaccines, there’s no safety in numbers ― Seth Berkley
- Vaccines save lives; fear endangers them. It’s a simple message parents need to keep hearing. ― Jeffrey Kluger
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