The fourtn annual conference of the Indian Association of Preventive and Social Medicine (Punjab Chapter) with the theme “Newer vaccines - an update” was held today at the Christian Medical College here.

It was organized by the Department of Community Medicine and was attended by 150 delegates from all over Punjab to discuss various issues related to current developments in new vaccines for protection against diseases, of public health importance in children and adults. The conference was inaugurated by the chief guest, Dr BS Shah, Chairman, Accreditation Committee of the Punjab Medical Council.

Dr Shavinder Singh, professor and head of the Department of Community Medicine, CMC, highlighted the importance of vaccination as a public health tool. He further said that success in the eradication of small pox world-wide and of measles and poliomyelitis in most of the countries of the world was possible only because of vaccination.

“Since many new and affordable vaccines are being developed and made available to people at an affordable cost, we chose the theme of ‘newer vaccines” for this conference. Dr Paramita, organizing secretary, said that inclusion of rotavirus vaccines into the routine schedule for childhood immunization would be an important step to prevent childhood deaths caused by rotavirus, which contribute to as much as 40% of all childhood deaths caused by diarrhoeal diseases.

Dr Jugesh Chhatwal, professor of paediatric medicine, CMC, gave an overview of the newer vaccines. Dr Nidhi Khera, gynaecologist, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, New Delhi, spoke on the role of vaccines in cervical cancer. Dr Karan Sagar from USAID, New Delhi, discussed the role of penta- and hexa-valent vaccines.