CURRENT AFFAIRS

Detailed explanation-1: -Pakistan became the first country in the world to introduce the typhoid conjugate vaccine (TCV) into its routine immunization program on Friday.

Detailed explanation-2: -Historians credit two researchers - British pathologist Almroth Wright and German bacteriologist Richard Pfeiffer - with developing the first typhoid fever vaccine in 1896 as they were working simultaneously on the typhoid vaccine.

Detailed explanation-3: -The British pathologist Almroth Wright generally is credited with the initiation of typhoid vaccination in 1896. His claims of priority were challenged as early as 1907 in favor of Richard Pfeiffer, a German bacteriologist and a student of Robert Koch.

Detailed explanation-4: -In November 2019, Pakistan became the first country to introduce TCV into their routine immunization system. Since then, Pakistan has vaccinated nearly 30 million children, and the benefits are undeniable: 66% reduction in typhoid cases following the introduction of the vaccine.

Detailed explanation-5: -As soon as India was declared smallpox free in 1977, the country decided to launch National Immunization programme called Expanded Programme of Immunization (EPI) in 1978 with the introduction BCG, OPV, DPT and typhoid-paratyphoid vaccines29,30.