National Immunization Day 16 March 2025 – Theme & Importance
National Immunization Day (also called National Vaccination Day) is a nationwide healthcare event, typically observed on the 16th of March every year, intending to encourage the deserved recognition of the policymakers, the healthcare workers, as well as the other stakeholders and their works in conducting several successful vaccination drives.
India has made leaps and bounds in the field of vaccination, especially concerning its vast population, density, and scalable increase of its intensified vaccination drives.
Edward Jenner and the necessity of immunisation
The immune response is the physiological cascade of events induced by antigen exposure, leading to immune response generation to fight the antigen. The response can range from white cells (to combat antigens) to specific antibodies.
Although humans receive passive immunity through the mother via the placenta and breast milk, it alone is insufficient. Passive immunity is always short-lived. During their lifetime, humans do acquire active immunity, which could last lifelong, but obtaining active immunity risks the contraction of a disease.
Understanding the importance of obtaining active immunity (immunisation), the ancient Turks developed variolation, whereby material from a smallpox pustule was inoculated into healthy individuals. However, rather than protecting people, variolation caused widespread outbreaks.
It wasn't until 1798, when Edward Jenner published the results of his research in smallpox, describing how inoculation of vaccinia (cowpox) would enable healthy people to be effectively immunised against smallpox, a way for safe immunisation was created.
National Immunization Day 2025
