National Vaccination Day- Date, History and Significance of the day
If there was ever a time when we wanted’ to take a Vaccine it was during the Pandemic. Literally because, our lives depended on it’!
Covid might have come and gone, but the effect it has imprinted on our psyche, will not be erased by time. However, long before the pandemic, there was a serious, collective effort to ensure that serious diseases never saw the light of day. Diseases that had wreaked havoc on the lives of countless others.
In this article we will explore everything there is to know about National Vaccination Day. From National Vaccination Day Quotes, to the National Vaccination Day Theme for 2024, you will find all such pertinent information here, and more. Ready to get a jab’ of information, where it comes to the day dedicated to shots’? Read on, to find out all about this glorious day created for the protection of human life.
National Vaccination Day: The History
Did you know that the earliest recorded form of a vaccine’, goes back to around 1000 A.D.? It is believed that at the time, it was used by the Chinese.
It was much later on, during the 18th and 19th centuries that is, that the legendary Louis Pasteur developed a vaccine for the deadly plague’ diseases like Cholera and Anthrax. Remember that tetanus shot you last took as a child? That was invented in the early 20th century!
It was somewhere in the mid-20th century that the vaccine for Polio was invented. That only led to the celebration of the first ever National Vaccination Day, in the year 1995. In a nutshell, the day is celebrated to commemorate the Indian Government’s Pulse Polio’ Campaign. This, of course, refers to the initiative that the Government undertook, to eradicate Polio from the country. National Vaccination Day was first celebrated on 16th March 1995, because that was the very day that saw the administration of the very first Oral Polio Vaccine!
It was indeed thanks to this day, that India was certified by the WHO as a polio-free nation’, in the year 2014. Ever since then, the day has increasingly gained public attention. Even more so now, in the aftermath of Covid.
National Vaccination Day Theme: 2024
Just like every cool party’, every special day’ needs a Theme. The theme for this upcoming National Vaccination Day on March 16th, 2024, is: Vaccines Work for All.’
What this theme proposes to champion is the idea that no matter what the Age or Socioeconomic status of a person, there exists a dire need for them to be protected from dangerous diseases, through effective vaccination.
National Vaccination Day: Its Significance
We get it. If we take a vaccine, we will probably not get a harmful disease. That’s merely skimming the surface, when talking about the significance of National Vaccination Day. Here’s why commemorating this special day is ever-important.
- Helps Create Awareness among people
- Encourages more People to get Vaccinated
- Reduces the Risk of Disease Transmission
- Promoting Healthy living
- Celebrating Human Achievements
Yes, we’ get it, but what about others? There must be a concerted effort made on this day by one and all, to spread awareness about taking vaccines in a timely manner, amongst adults and children. This also includes dispelling the several myths’ that abound around taking those vaccines. The very myths that are responsible for a large chunk of the population not taking those vaccines at all.
Needless to say, the more people get to know about the wonderful benefits of vaccines, they are all the more prompted to take action and get vaccinated! That being said, this is a day when the Government of India undertakes drives countrywide, to immunize adults and even, children. Note: There is a keen focus here, on administering vaccines to those people who might have missed their scheduled immunizations.
When more people get vaccinated, the chances of there being a terrible outbreak’ of those infectious diseases are minimized. The more the people vaccinated, the less they will spread the infection they are getting vaccinated against, to others.
When people are vaccinated, they are freed up to live healthier lives. It’s only because so many people took the Covid vaccine, that we were able to emerge from the pandemic without the undue loss of more lives.
Behind every vaccine, there is a team of remarkable human beings. They have worked tirelessly, to make a vaccine available that will go on to save countless lives. Apart from spreading awareness about the need to get vaccinated, we must all laud the achievements of these remarkable human beings, on this special day.
National Vaccination Day: Quotes
Merely telling people Vaccines work for All’, might not be enough to get them to take that vaccine. Try texting them some of these wonderful quotes this National Vaccination Day, to help them cement their decision to get vaccinated.
- No country is safe until every country is safe.’ – Luis Almagro
- Immunization has been a great public health success story. The lives of millions of children have been saved, millions have the chance of a longer healthier life, a greater chance to learn, to play, to read and write, to move around freely without suffering.’ – Nelson Mandela
- Childhood vaccines are one of the great triumphs of modern medicine. Indeed, parents whose children are vaccinated no longer have to worry about their child’s death or disability from whooping cough, polio, diphtheria, hepatitis, or a host of other infections.’ – Ezekiel Emanuel
- We believe unbelievable progress can be made, in both inventing new vaccines and making sure they get out to all the children who need them.’ – Bill Gates
- For just a few dollars a dose, vaccines help save lives and reduce poverty. Unlike medical treatment, they provide a lifetime of protection from deadly and debilitating disease. They are safe and effective. They cut healthcare and treatment costs, reduce the number of hospital visits and ensure healthier children, families and communities.’ – Seth Berkley
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