Washington, Nov 1 : Pakistan will be introducing a new combination vaccine, which will provide protection against the bacterium Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) and four other common childhood diseases.
Hib, a bacterium that can cause deadly meningitis and pneumonia, is one of the top killers of young children in the developing world.
Even with treatment, an estimated 23,000 children die of Hib disease in Pakistan every year. Globally, over 1,000 children under 5 years of age die from Hib-related diseases each day.
Survivors are often permanently disabled—paralyzed, deafened or brain damaged.