Table of Contents
Vaccination in India: Immunization
- Vaccination in India provides vaccines against 11 diseases nationally and one disease sub-nationally under its Universal Immunization Programme (UIP).
- Diseases which comes under Vaccination in India Programme: Diphtheria, Pertussis(whooping cough), Tetanus, Polio, Measles, Rubella (severe form of Childhood Tuberculosis), Hepatitis B, Meningitis, Pneumonia caused by Hemophilus Influenza type B, Rotavirus diarrhoea, Pneumococcal Pneumonia and Japanese Encephalitis
- About 7 crore newborns and 2.9 crore pregnant women every year are targeted under UIP.
- As per the National Family Health Surveys (NFHS), Childhood vaccination rates have grown over the last two decades with the proportion of fully vaccinated children reaching 76%.
Vaccination in India: Milestones
- Expanded Programme on Immunization: Vaccination in India introduced the BCG, DPT, and OPV vaccines by launching Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI) after being declared smallpox-free in 1977.
- The Vaccination in India has been successfully expanded by bringing newer vaccines, better infrastructure, and innovative strategies to improve both demand and supply of vaccines.
- In 2014, India was declared Polio-free, which was result of a government-driven eradication plan and a multi-faceted communication approach helped the entire population achieve public ownership to be polio-free in 2014
- In 2014, Mission Indradhanush was introduced to ensure that full immunization coverage of >90% is achieved and sustained across the country.
- In 2016, Vaccination in India became the first country in Asia to launch the Rotavirus vaccine under the UIP.
- In 2017, the Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine (PCV) was introduced and scaled up using Made-in-India vaccines to prevent rotaviral diarrhoea and pneumococcal pneumonia in children.
- Measles vaccination rates have increased from 59% in 2006 to 88% in 2021. Mass immunization campaigns have prevented tens of thousands of measles deaths in children.
- Vaccination in India recently crossed the 2 Billon mark in administration of Covid-19 vaccine across the country.
Vaccination in India: Reasons behind Success
- Technological infrastructure: Technology like Electronic Vaccine Intelligence Network (eVIN) system has helped digitize the entire vaccine stock management, logistics and temperature tracking at all levels, ensuring vaccine availability and vaccine safety.
- Biomedical infrastructure: India has built up its biomedical enterprise including research and development, and manufacturing capacity.
- India has been able to build infrastructure such as cold chain systems, and by developing a cadre of well-trained health workers to provide last-mile services.
- Social campaigns: Social and awareness campaign helped bring behavioral changes. These campaigns have helped generate awareness about vaccine-preventable diseases and ensured trust in vaccination.
Vaccination in India: Contribution to the World:
- Vaccination in India is the single largest producer of vaccines in the world, providing quality vaccines at low cost, helping immunize other developing countries.
- Almost two-thirds of the children in the world receive at least one vaccine that is produced in India.
- Community Health workers: Community health workers such as ASHAs and Anganwadi workers go door-to-door to provide information and identify children and pregnant women who have missed vaccine dose.
- Media Campaign: Celebrities and influencers have been spreading message about benefits of vaccination. Authorities have been using mobile messaging and social media as part of its evolving communication strategy to spread awareness.
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