Panel to frame vaccine policy for State
The Hindu
Seven-member committee to look into Universal Immunisation Programme, adult immunisation
The State Government has set up a seven-member committee to frame a vaccine policy for the State, as part of the efforts to establish a vaccine- manufacturing zone at the Life Sciences Park at Thonnakkal in the capital.
The said committee is chaired by B. Ekbal, who is also the chairperson of the State-level Expert Committee on COVID-19 Management .
One of the primary mandates of the committee is to examine the Universal Immunisation Programme (UIP) and the vaccine schedule currently being followed in the State and to make necessary modifications, if required. It has been a long-standing issue that while the public sector hospitals follow the UIP schedule of vaccinations for child immunisation, paediatricians in the private sector follow a vaccine schedule recommended by the Indian Academy of Paediatrics, which includes more optional childhood vaccines
As speculation over the continuation of Minister for Scheduled Tribes Welfare B. Nagendra in the Cabinet persisted, with the demand for his resignation raised by the BJP in connection with the ₹94 crore scam at the Maharshi Valmiki Scheduled Tribes Development Corporation, his Cabinet colleagues came to his defence on Thursday.