National Immunization Day 2020: Date, Significance & Facts About The Day When The First Dose Of Oral Polio Vaccine Was Given

Every year on March 16, National Immunization Day is celebrated. It is the day dedicated to vaccination against polio that has been now eradicated from India. National Vaccination Day also known as National Immunization Day (NID) holds immense importance in the history of days as it was the first dose of Oral Polio Vaccine was given in the year 1995. Vaccines made it possible to help get rid of this condition completely from the country.

National Immunization Day 2020 Date And Significane

The day is celebrated on March 16 and unlike the World Immunization Week that is celebrated in the month of April (April 24 to April 30). The idea behind the observance of the day is to spread awareness about the eradication of the polio from India.

Even still a major number of kids are immunized on this day with polio vaccine. The main reason vaccines are given to kids is to protect them from infectious disease as it has turned out to be by far the best method to help fight diseases. It has been found out that boosting immunity due to vaccination has also been responsible for control on diseases like small pox, tetanus, measles, polio, etc. not just in India but also all around the world.

National Immunization Day Facts

• World Health Organization (WHO) reveals that immunization can work as the best prevention method as licensed vaccines can prevent twenty-five preventable infections.
• India observes the Pulse Polio Programme since 1995.
• The last case of polio was reported on 13 January 2011.
• India was certified as a polio-free country on March 27, 2012 along with 11 other countries of the World Health Organisation (WHO) such as Bangladesh, Bhutan, Indonesia, Maldives, Myanmar, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Timor-Leste, and Thailand.

India has managed to eradicated polio completely in 2012 and in order to maintain it, National Immunization Day has to be conducted twice a year at a gap of 2 to 4 weeks, as per WHO.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 16, 2020 07:30 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).