Hexavalent Vaccine

Why in News?

Recently, A study by the Union Health Ministry and partner organisations says introducing the hexavalent vaccine under the Universal Immunisation Programme could reduce the number of injections.

• Hexavalent Vaccine – A hexavalent (six-in-one) vaccine is a combination vaccine that protects infants against:
  • Diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis (whooping cough), Hepatitis B, Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib), and polio in a single injection.

Key Findings

• Efficiency – Hexavalent vaccine reduces injections, saves time, and eases frontline worker pressure.
• Savings – A 50% price reduction would make system‑level savings outweigh higher procurement costs.
• Impact – Fewer injections for infants, reduced caregiver burden, lower cold‑chain requirements, easier for health workers.

Implementation Scenarios

• Primary Schedule – Replace pentavalent + fractional IPV with hexavalent.
• Booster – Replace primary schedule + DTP booster with hexavalent booster.

Reference

The Hindu | Hexavalent