Mumbai: The state hopes the move will curb mortality rates in the underfive age group that currently stands at 21 per 1,000 live births.
Over 14,000 children die in Maharashtra every year before celebrating their fifth birthday. An estimated 40% cases of diarrhoea, which is one of the leading causes of the deaths, is caused by the highly contagious rotavirus.
The Maharashtra health services hopes to curb atleast 200 deaths every year and thousands of hospitalisation by preventing diarrhoea in children.
The state aims to vaccinate around 20 lakh children, including over 1.5lakh in Mumbai, annually. Infants will be given three doses of the vaccine at the sixth, 10th and the 14th week of life.
It has now been made a part of the routine immunization basket. Pediatricians have hailed the move.
