New Delhi,Lok Sabha:Under the Universal Immunization Programme, Infants are vaccinated with DPT vaccine at the age of 6, 10 & 14 weeks and Booster dose at 18 months of age to immunize against Diphtheria, Pertussis and Tetnus Toxoid. The tetnus and diphtheria toxoids are highly immunogenic (95-100%), the pertussis vaccine has a protective efficacy of 70-90%. Duration of immunity after whole cell vaccine declines by 50% over a period of 6-12 years. Because the traditional whole cell vaccine was considered too reactogenic to be administered after 6 years, the immunization schedule did not include additional pertussis immunization after that age.
Under the Universal Immunization Programme, DT (Diphtheria & Tetnus Toxoid) vaccine is administered to the children at the age of 5 years and TT (Tetnus Toxoid) at the age of 10 & 16 years.This information was given by the Minister of State for Health & Family Welfare, Smt. Panabaaka Lakshmi in a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha.