Overcoming Challenges: Bagnan, West Bengal

In India, Rotavirus vaccine (RVV) was expanded to all states in 2019. Two types of RVV products were useda oral liquid frozen RVV and a oral lyophilized RVV. In the state of West Bengal, the lyophilized product was introduced in August 2019.

Bagnan-1 is a remote block in Howrah district of West Bengal. It has a higher prevalence and incidence of vaccine preventable diseases and also had history of wild polio virus transmission. There are a lot of areas in the block which are diarrhoea prone. However, the health seeking behaviour of the community is sub optimal and the diarrheal cases are brought to the Block PHC only when the condition of the patient deteriorates and becomes critical. Acceptance to new vaccine was traditionally low here. What became even more challenging for RVV was that for the first time an oral vaccine was to be administered via a syringe.

At the time of RVV launch, Dr. Palash Kumar Mallick was Block Medical Officer Health (BMOH), Ms Shyamoli Roy was Block Public Health Nurse (BPHN) & Ms Madhumita Roy was the Public Health Nurse (PHN). This dedicated team along with the other health staff of the block took various steps to ensure a smooth introduction and uptake of the RVV.

Teams were formed in the identified diarrhoea prone areas. They visited every house in those areas to create awareness about diarrhoeal diseases & importance of RVV. VHND sessions were also utilized to create awareness about diarrhoea & other VPDs. RVV introduction was utilized as an opportunity to create awareness not just about diarrhoea & RVV but about all other VPDs & how they can be easily prevented by giving all doses of all the vaccines available in UIP in time. It was done through extensive IPC, mothers meeting, meeting with key influencers & making them move in the community for awareness generation.

Block level Task Force (BLTF) was held at regular interval in presence of Block Development Officer (BDO), Sabhapati & Swasthya Karmadhakya. This ensured that under the leadership of respective Panchayat Pradhans in the block, PRI members work in close coordination with the HWs to create awareness not just at the time of new vaccine introduction but work throughout the year for better coverage of all UIP vaccines.