Kareena Encourages Timely Vaccination for Children

KOCHI:
GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceuticals Limited today announced that the acclaimed actress and mother of two, Kareena Kapoor Khan will be the face of their latest digital campaign, “FaislaSahi, ZindagiSahi”. Through this campaign, GSK calls on parents to comply with the vaccination cardfor their children as recommended by their paediatrician, not only through infancy, but also 1 year and beyond. In the digital films, Kareena talks about the ‘moments’ a child may miss because of ‘missed vaccination’.

Speaking about the campaign, Kareena Kapoor Khan said, “I am happy to be raising awareness around childhood vaccination with a trusted company like GSK. As a mother, I want to see my children healthy and happy. In today’s day & age, it is important to be cautious about our children’s wellbeing as they are exposed to different germs at other public places. When I get them vaccinated on time, as recommended by their paediatrician, I am doing my bit to keep them protected from multiple diseases.”

Childhood infections such as flu, meningitis, chicken pox, and hepatitis A can be dangerous for children, and in some cases may require hospitalisation and can negatively impact their crucial developmental milestones. Vaccination can help provide protection against these harmful infections and enable them to lead a healthy life. The Indian Academy of Paediatrics (IAP) recommends a vaccination schedule for children till 18 years of age 4 . Parents often diligently follow the required vaccination card for the first year – after which vaccination can sometimes take a backseat, and children may miss some vaccinations. The campaign, “FaislaSahi, ZindagiSahi” encourages parents to comply with the vaccination card for their children, even beyond the first year of life, in consultation with their paediatrician.

Dr. Rashmi Hegde, Executive Vice President – Medical Affairs, GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceuticals Limited, said, “There have been frequent outbreaks of certain vaccine-preventable diseases in the country in the past year; for example, the measles outbreak with more than 11,000 cases across the country between May
– November 2022 v , the outbreak of swine flu in Maharashtra in August 2022, and that of hepatitis A in Kota in October 2022 vi vii . These are a cause of concern as there is a possibility that we might see outbreaks of other infections in the future too. For the purpose of prevention, all children must be vaccinated on time. We have launched this campaign to encourage parents to increase their awareness about vaccine-preventable diseases and get their children vaccinated in consultation with their paediatrician so that they always follow their vaccination schedule.”

The campaign attempts to bust some myths around vaccine hesitancy that are prevalent amongst parents which are driven by misinformation, negative beliefs, and safety concerns around immunisation 5 . It also appeals to parents to log on to the website MyVaccinationHub.co.in which provides information on vaccination in 12 languages; and has a ‘digital vaccination tracker’ with timely reminders for parents to keep track of their children’s vaccination. The campaign will run across multiple media formats including digital videos on YouTube, MyVaccinationHub.in, and at paediatricians’ clinics across the country.