Hepatitis A Vaccine Needs Urgent National Priority

India is currently discussing whether the typhoid conjugate vaccine should be
added to the Universal Immunisation Programme (UIP). But many experts believe
that Hepatitis A — which is becoming a major cause of severe liver
failure — needs even more urgent attention. India already has a safe,
effective, long-lasting vaccine for Hepatitis A. What the country needs
now is a clear policy decision to include it in the programme.
The UIP has been one of India’s biggest public health successes. It helped
eliminate polio, reduce measles deaths, and save millions of children.
But as India’s health problems change over time, the vaccination programme
must also update its priorities.