India is implementing the largest inoculation drive globally where annually over 3 crore pregnant women and 2.6 crore children are covered through the Universal Immunisation Programme, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said on Monday.
The minister launched the Intensified Mission Indradhanush (IMI) 4.0 virtually in presence of health officials of various states and Union Territories.
The IMI 4.0 will have three rounds and will be conducted in 416 districts (including 75 districts identified for Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav) across 33 states and UTs, a health ministry statement said.
"India is implementing the largest immunisation programme globally where we annually cover more than 3 crore pregnant women and 2.6 crore children through the Universal Immunisation Programme (UIP)," he said.
Mandaviya noted that while the pace of routine immunization has slowed down due to Covid pandemic, IMI 4.0 will immensely contribute in filling the gaps and make lasting gains towards universal immunization.
It will ensure that Routine Immunization (RI) services reach the unvaccinated and partially vaccinated children and pregnant women, he said.
In the first round (Feb-April 2022), 11 states will conduct IMI 4.0. These are Assam, Uttarakhand, Gujarat, Jammu and Kashmir, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Tripura and Chhattisgarh, the statement said.
The others (22 states) will conduct the rounds from April to May. These states and UTs, include Himachal Pradesh, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh, Odisha, Bihar, Puducherry, Delhi, Punjab, Goa, Tamil Nadu, Haryana, Telangana, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Kerala, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, the statement said.
The Union health minister saluted the commitment and dedication of the frontline vaccinators who brave difficult terrain and weather to ensure that the farthest village and household are covered with the protection of vaccines.
