National Vaccination Day 2023: History And Significance

New Delhi: National Vaccination Day or National Immunization Day is observed in India on March 16 with an aim to spread awareness about the importance of vaccines in the healthcare system.

On this day in 1995, the first oral polio vaccination dose was given in India. Henceforth, the day has been observed as National Vaccination Day every year.

History of National Vaccination Day

Vaccination as a practice has its history hundreds of years ago way back in the 1700s.  Edward Jenner, an English physician and scientist is the person who was regarded as the founder of vaccines. He used a vaccine against cowpox to immunize a 13-year-old child in 1796. He also supported in establishing immunity against smallpox. And the first vaccine against smallpox was developed in 1798.

Throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, mass immunization against smallpox continued and in 1979 the mass vaccination led to the eradication of smallpox. Similarly, the experiments done by Louis Pasteur helped in developing vaccination against cholera in the 19th century. Likewise, different other vaccines were developed in the later years.

In the 1940s, large-scale vaccine production took place due to the inventions of scientific knowledge. During the 1960s, the vaccine against measles, mumps, and rubella were invented, which were known as M.M.R. vaccine.

Over the past few years, further significant developments took place that led to massive strides in the world of vaccines including the introduction of advanced vaccines technology.

The recent development of covid-19 vaccines and the mass vaccination drive against the disease is an examples of remarkable growth in the field of vaccination.

Significance

National Vaccine Day is marked to promote the importance of vaccines and the role they play in improving public health. It seeks to create awareness among the masses about their effectiveness against deadly diseases. This day is also called National Immunisation Day.