ISLAMABAD, Jan 9: The health ministry on Wednesday approved the use of five-in-one vaccine in the country’s immunisation programme that included antigen against haemophilus influenzae type-b (Hib). Children all over the country will be administered the pentavalent vaccine from July.

The new vaccine replaces the four-antigen vaccine and provides protection against diphtheria, whooping cough, tetanus, hepatitis-B and Hib, and is being described by the ministry as a major breakthrough.

But critics have termed the move a shot in the dark because the exact incidence of Hib pneumonia in the country was unknown.

Microbiologist Dr Abbas Hayat Baloch, member of a research team that studied Hib incidence in the country in 2007, told this correspondent that very few cases had been detected.

Seven million cases of pneumonia are reported annually in Pakistan, resulting in about 125,000 deaths.

However, there was no research-based evidence to suggest that these cases were caused by Hib.

The launch of $151 million pentavalent vaccine project is being co-financed by Global Alliance for Vaccines & Immunisation (GAVI) and the Pakistan government.

“This is a major step forward. The introduction of vaccine with five antigens will reduce the number of visits parents needed to undertake for vaccinating a newborn baby and it will also reduce the child’s discomfort by reducing the number of injections administered,” said Secretary Health Khushnood Akhtar Lashari.

It would help improve the delivery of vaccination services, enhance routine immunisation coverage and subsequently help reduce child mortality rate. “This will enable the country to achieve the MDG4 and MDG5, boosting disease control and reducing maternal and infant mortality,” he said.

Data for the incidence of Hib pneumonia in other parts of the world is available like in the western hemisphere, Africa and the Middle East, but is lacking for Eastern Europe, Central Asian republics and other parts of Asia.

Two to three million Hib pneumonia cases are detected annually, out of which 500,000 people die.

Sources in United Nations Children Fund believe that global figures cannot be directly applied to Pakistan.

However, they said, Unicef welcomed the inclusion of Hib vaccine in the national immunisation programme.