India's Vaccination Success Highlighted Amid WHO/UNICEF Report Concerns

In a recent parliamentary session, Union Health Minister JP Nadda addressed concerns raised by a 2023 WHO/UNICEF report on national immunization coverage, specifically regarding the number of zero-dose children in India. Nadda pointed out that the comparison with countries having a high burden of zero-dose children was flawed, as it did not account for India's large population and high vaccination coverage.

Key Points:

• Zero-Dose Children: According to the report, zero-dose or unvaccinated children account for only 0.11% of India's total population. The number of zero-dose children has decreased from 26 lakh in 2013 to 16 lakh in 2023.
• Vaccination Coverage: India's vaccination coverage exceeds 90% for most antigens under the national immunization program, surpassing the global average.
• Government Initiatives: Nadda emphasized the government's initiatives, including Mission Indradhanush (MI) and Intensified Mission Indradhanush (IMI), which have successfully vaccinated over 5.46 crore children and 1.32 crore pregnant women.
• Digital Initiatives: The UWIN portal was developed for the registration and recording of all vaccination events of children and pregnant women.

The session underscored India's commitment to maintaining and improving its immunization program, which is the largest public health initiative globally, ensuring that all eligible children receive their due doses of vaccines.