Childhood immunization levels stalled in 2023

Posted 18 Jul 2024

2 min read

Key findings

Global:
- Childhood immunization coverage stalled in 2023, leaving 2.7 million children either unvaccinated or under-vaccinated.
- Over 50% of unvaccinated children live in the 31 conflict-affected countries.
India:
- In 2023, 1.6 million children missed crucial Diphtheria, pertussis, and tetanus (together called DPT) and measles vaccinations.
- India lacks human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination in national programs despite cervical cancer being second-highest cancer in women (18% of female cancers).
- India accounted for 2 million zero-dose children.
  - Zero-dose children are those that lack access to or are never reached by routine immunization services.

Universal Immunization Programme (UIP) has been operational in India since 1985.
Mission Indradhanush 2014 was launched as a special drive to vaccinate all unvaccinated and partially vaccinated children, pregnant women under UIP.
- So far 5.46 crore children and 1.32 crore pregnant women have been vaccinated.
Intensified Mission Indradhanush (IMI) 5.0, 2023 is a catch-up vaccination campaign for children up to 5 years of age and pregnant women, who were left out.
- 12 diseases covered: Diphtheria, whooping cough, tetanus, polio, tuberculosis, measles and hepatitis-B, pertussis, meningitis and pneumonia, Japanese encephalitis (JE) and measles-rubella (MR).

Limited resources including trained manpower, poor infrastructure for storage of vaccines and other logistics (e.g. inactivated polio).
Lack of responsibility: It is restricted only to vaccinate those who come for a visit; No active follow-up and limited accountability.
Lack of centralized record systems, pressure to achieve vaccination targets, etc.

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