Vitamin A supplementation is beneficial in the management of clinical and sub-clinical deficiencies of this important micronutrient, and has been observed to improve outcomes from certain illnesses, particularly diarrhoeal diseases and in preventing infectious diseases. The beneficial effect of vitamin A supplementation in ALRI including pneumonia is not that clear. WHO currently recommends single high dose of vitamin A supplementation to malnourished children with diarrhoea because of low cost with high participation rate for improving health status of children. The WHO recommendation is based on studies in communities that showed benefit of the cheapest intervention, which is quicker to implement into health programmes. The programmes for vitamin A capsule distribution reduced risk of vitamin A deficiency among participating children. Interpretation of the three studies done in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Senegal, as mentioned earlier, in relation to the existing guidelines on vitamin A supplementation was considered difficult and their validity was doubted in a meeting convened by WHO in September 2004. It was, however, recognized that the question of vitamin A dosage remains an important one and there is scope for further research. The meeting proposed that the high dose only be given if the interval is at least 6 months from the last previous high dose.