Patna, Jan. 19: The state government has decided to push for pentavalent vaccine’s inclusion in its public health programme despite controversy over it in Tamil Nadu and Kerala.

The government has decided to approach the Centre to help it introduce the pentavalent vaccine in the state setting aside posers on its alleged adverse effects and public interest litigations (PIL) filed against the Union government’s decision of implementing the vaccination programme allegedly without conducting proper scientific studies.

Buoyed by its success of intensive immunisation programme, the state decided to push for the pentavalent vaccination programme. It offers immunisation against five fatal and debilitating childhood infections. It is administered to infants between 12 and 23 months.

An expert said: “The pentavalent formulation has several programmatic advantages as it halves the number of injections per child and reduces the requirement of cold chain storage space besides ease of management of logistics and data.”

Health department principal secretary Amarjeet Sinha told The Telegraph that the state had requested the Centre to examine the viability of the vaccine for Bihar.

“We have improved substantially in routine immunisation (RI) coverage in the state and hope to reach 80 per cent this year. Now, we are asking the Centre to help us introduce the vaccine here as it will be a very costly scheme.”

Bihar has taken a long jump in RI programme coverage by reaching over 68 per cent in 2010 from a dismal 18 per cent in 2005. The state registered a steady rise in RI programme after an incentive-driven campaign Muskaan ek Abhiyaan was launched in 2007,wherein delivery of routine immunisation services was provided in every government health and anganwadi centre.

The reinvigorated programme, launched in collaboration with Unicef, is aimed at ensuring every child is vaccinated against six fatal diseases, including tuberculosis, diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, polio and measles.

Pentavalent vaccine contains five antigens — diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, Hepatitis B and Hib, the new addition to the immunisation programme. The Hib vaccine is available in both monovalent and combined formulations.

Hib infection causes pneumonia and meningitis that kill thousands of children. Meningitis can also result in crippling disabilities and the pentavalent vaccine can help significantly in bringing this down.

Experts said pentavalent vaccines were available in the private market for over a decade now. Three Indian manufacturers produce it.

“The pentavalent vaccine is already available in the private market at a very high cost. When it is included in the public health system, it comes for free. Thus, it can be made available to those who otherwise cannot afford it,” said a city-based paediatrician.

Sources said the introduction of this vaccine in government hospitals at low prices or for free will greatly affect the sales of private pharmaceutical companies producing this drug. Naturally there will be a lobby pushing for the non-implementation of this vaccine through the government.

Senior officers in the health department said the pentavalent vaccine was introduced in Kerala and Tamil Nadu a few months ago with the support from the Union government and Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.