Indian Academy of Pediatrics (IAP) recommended immunization schedule for children aged 0 through 18 years, India, 2013 and updates on immunization.

Justification: There is a need to review/revise recommendations about existing vaccines in light of recent developments in the field of vaccinology where new developments are taking place regularly at short intervals.

Process: Following an IAP ACVIP meeting on 3rd and 4th August, 2013, a draft of revised recommendations for the year 2013 and updates on certain new vaccine formulations was prepared and circulated among the meeting participants to arrive at a consensus.

Objectives: To review and revise recommendations for 2013 Immunization timetable for pediatricians in office practice and issue statements on new vaccine formulations.

Pertussis vaccines: position paper of Indian Academy of Pediatrics (IAP).

Pertussis continues to be a major public health problem in both developing and developed countries. Data on exact burden and incidence of pertussis in the developing countries including India is sparse. However, the disease is widespread, even if not adequately measurable.

Influenza vaccination in India: position paper of Indian Academy of Pediatrics, 2013.

Burden of Influenza is significantly higher in developing countries as compared to developed countries, but the data on the disease burden is less well defined in most of the developing countries including India, and consequently, constraints evolving strategies for prioritization of measures to prevent and control it. The swine flu or A(H1N1) pandemic is on the wane but the virus continues to circulate causing sporadic outbreaks even in 2013. The A(H1N1)pdm09 has replaced the previous circulating seasonal A (H1N1) virus and acquired the status of a seasonal virus.

Adverse event following immunization (AEFI) surveillance in India, position paper of Indian Academy of Pediatrics,2013.

Adverse event following immunization (AEFI) is a critical component of immunization program. The risk of AEFI with vaccination is always weighed against the risk of not immunizing a child. There is an evolving AEFI surveillance system in India for the vaccines delivered through universal immunization program (UIP) of government sector, but the reporting remained suboptimal for long in the country, and there is almost no participation from private sector.

50 years of immunization in India: progress and future.

Immunization is one of the most cost effective public health interventions and largely responsible for reduction of under5 mortality rate. However, vaccine preventable diseases (VPDs) are still responsible for over 5 lakh deaths annually in India. This underlines the need of further improvement.

A fatal outbreak of Trichosporon asahii sepsis in a neonatal intensive care Unit.

We describe an outbreak of Trichosporon asahii in 8 newborn infants with sepsis. Six out of these 8 infants died. The organism was identified on specific culture and morphologic characteristics.

Status of immunization and need for intensification of routine immunization in India.

Vaccines have made a major contribution to public health but vaccines-preventable diseases (VPDs) are still responsible for significant deaths of under-five children. Despite Global efforts, the coverage in two WHO regions namely Africa and South-East Asia (SEA) still remain short of set targets for 2010. As a result, the SEA Regional Director has declared 2012 as the Year for Intensifying Routine Immunization (RI) in the Region.