Vitamin A supplementation is given to children from the age of 1 to 6 years for every:

Appeared in: BHU NO-2019

Explanation

The National Programme for Prevention of Nutritional Blindness in India specifies the schedule for Vitamin A supplementation.
After the initial dose of 1,00,000 IU at 9 months, subsequent higher doses of 2,00,000 IU are administered.
The frequency for these subsequent doses, from 16-18 months up to 5 years of age, is every 6 months.
This regimen ensures sustained protection against Vitamin A deficiency during the critical early years of growth.

Option A: This is the age for the administration of the first dose of Vitamin A, not the interval between subsequent doses.
Option B: This interval is too frequent and would put the child at high risk for Vitamin A toxicity (hypervitaminosis A).
Option C: This interval is too long, which would fail to provide adequate and consistent protection against Vitamin A deficiency, increasing the risk of xerophthalmia and infections.

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: This is primarily an exam-oriented knowledge point with limited direct bedside application, so retain Vitamin A Prophylaxis Schedule under the National Immunization Program as background academic context rather than a clinical decision trigger.
This prophylactic program is a cornerstone of public health in India to prevent xerophthalmia (nutritional blindness) and reduce child mortality.
Nurses play a vital role in administering the doses correctly, maintaining records, and educating parents on the importance of completing the full schedule and recognizing signs of deficiency or toxicity.
What if? If a child misses a dose, the nurse should administer it at the earliest opportunity. The next dose should then be scheduled 6 months after the current dose was given, ensuring the interval is maintained.

How to Approach the Question

First, identify that the question is asking for the frequency or interval of Vitamin A supplementation, not the starting age.
This is a factual recall question based on a national health program (National Immunization Schedule of India).
Recall the specific details of the Vitamin A prophylaxis schedule.
Differentiate between the age of the first dose (9 months) and the interval for all subsequent doses (6 months).
Evaluate the options: 9 months is the start age, 3 months is too frequent (risk of toxicity), and 12 months is too infrequent (risk of deficiency). This leaves 6 months as the correct interval.

Concept Tested & Keywords

Concept Tested: Vitamin A Prophylaxis Schedule under the National Immunization Program.
Stem keywords: Vitamin A supplementation, children, 1 to 6 years, every
Lead-in keywords: for every
Negative lead-in flag: false

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E6 Parks TextBook of Preventive & Social Medicine part 2 — Subpart A (pp 1-232 of 464) p. 178-180

E6 Medicine Harrison 22e Part 2 p. 515-517

Practise the full BHU NO-2019

Attempt every question from this paper in a timed mock, then review the full solution for each one.