Increasing resistance to anti-biotics in treating meningitis and pneumonia makes it important to focus on vaccines as they are preventive measures, Institute of Child Health (ICH) Secretary Ritabrata Kundu said at a meeting here.
"Meningitis affects children in the age group of 0-6 years. Vaccines can prevent their occurrence and may save young lives", ICH Director Apurba Ghosh said.
Infectious diseases like meningitis and pneumonia attacked infants because of their low immunity and could prove fatal if not diagnosed and treated in time, Central Indian Academy of Paediatrics president Rohit C Agarwal said.
"Pneumococcal conjugate vaccine that protects children from 13 disease-causing strains and vaccine for Paemophilus influenza type b (Hib) are available in the country", he said. PTI PB PR
