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Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccines in India ? 1. These vaccines are effective against pneumonia as well as meningitis and sepsis. 2. Dependence on antibiotics that are not effective against drug-resistant bacteria can be reduced. 3. These vaccines have no side effects and cause no allergic reactions. Select the correct answer using the code given below :
Explanation
The correct answer is Option 2 (1 and 2 only).
Statement 1 is correct: Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccines (PCV) are designed to protect against Streptococcus pneumoniae. This bacterium is a leading cause of not only pneumonia but also invasive diseases such as febrile bacteremia (sepsis) and meningitis, especially in children.
Statement 2 is correct: By preventing infections caused by drug-resistant strains of pneumococcus, PCVs reduce the clinical need for antibiotics. This directly helps in curbing the spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), as fewer infections mean less reliance on potent antibiotics.
Statement 3 is incorrect: Like all medical interventions, PCVs can have side effects. Common reactions include redness, swelling, or pain at the injection site, and systemic reactions like fever or irritability. While severe allergic reactions are rare, claiming "no side effects" is scientifically inaccurate.
Therefore, statements 1 and 2 are technically sound, while statement 3 is an absolute and incorrect claim.
PROVENANCE & STUDY PATTERN
Guest previewThis question masquerades as a technical medical query but is actually a 'Logic Test'. While Statement 1 and 2 require awareness of the Universal Immunization Programme (UIP), Statement 3 is a classic 'Extreme Absolute' trap. No biological intervention in history has 'zero' side effects. If you spotted the trap, the question solves itself.
This question can be broken into the following sub-statements. Tap a statement sentence to jump into its detailed analysis.
- Statement 1: Do pneumococcal conjugate vaccines in India protect against pneumonia, meningitis, and sepsis caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae?
- Statement 2: Does use of pneumococcal conjugate vaccines in India reduce antibiotic use and lower incidence or transmission of antibiotic‑resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae infections?
- Statement 3: Do pneumococcal conjugate vaccines in India have no side effects and cause no allergic reactions?
- Explicitly states that PCV can prevent the specific illnesses named in the statement.
- Frames PCV as a "proven, life-saving tool," directly supporting vaccine effectiveness against those diseases.
- Identifies Streptococcus pneumoniae as the cause of pneumonia, meningitis, and sepsis, tying the pathogen to the diseases named.
- Describes PCV's pivotal role in reducing child mortality in India, supporting that the vaccine is used to prevent these pneumococcal diseases.
States India is a major vaccine producer and cites development of a specific bacterial vaccine (rotavirus example of Indian-led vaccine work).
A student could infer India has capacity to develop or manufacture bacterial vaccines and therefore look up whether PCVs are produced or procured in India and check product indications.
Defines vaccines and gives concrete examples (polio, measles, tetanus, hepatitis) showing vaccines prevent serious infections caused by viruses and bacteria.
Use this general rule that vaccines prevent infections to investigate whether pneumococcal conjugate vaccines are indicated to prevent S. pneumoniae infections like pneumonia, meningitis, and sepsis.
Explains mechanism: vaccines train the immune system using parts of a germ to prevent disease.
Apply this mechanism to pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCVs) to reason they would be expected to induce immunity against S. pneumoniae and thereby reduce disease caused by it; then check clinical/epidemiological data or product labels for those outcomes.
Gives an example of disease eradication (smallpox) accomplished by vaccination, illustrating that vaccination can eliminate targeted severe diseases.
From this precedent, a student could reasonably seek evidence whether targeted vaccination campaigns with PCVs have reduced pneumococcal disease (pneumonia, meningitis, sepsis) in settings where they are used, including India.
Describes historical Indian practice (variolation) as an early preventive inoculation method, showing longstanding preventive interventions against infectious disease in the region.
Use this as contextual support for the presence of vaccine-related public health practice in India and then verify whether modern PCVs are part of current immunization efforts there.
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