UPSC Syllabus Topic: GS Paper 2 -Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health. Lessons from India’s vaccination drive.
Introduction
India’s vaccination drive shows how scale, focus, and technology can save lives. Services reached children and pregnant women at speed and cost-efficiency. Immunity gaps during COVID-19 exposed weak spots. Catch-up rounds, digital tracking, and stronger cold chains are closing those gaps. Clear goals now guide action toward full, durable coverage.
Gains from India’s vaccination drive
- Scale and outcomes: The Universal Immunisation Programme (UIP) vaccinates about 2.6 crore infants and 2.9 crore pregnant women each year. Under-5 mortality fell from 45 to 31 per 1,000 live births between 2014 and 2021.
- Programme breadth and disease control: UIP provides 11 nationwide vaccines and one vaccine in endemic areas. India remains polio-free since 2011. Maternal and neonatal tetanus was eliminated in 2015. Yaws was eliminated in 2016.
- Measles–Rubella push: From 2017 to 2019, 34.8 crore children (9 months to 15 years) received the MR vaccine. Measles outbreaks in 2022–2024 revealed immunity gaps. IMI 5.0 in 2023 targeted under-five children. The 2025 Zero MR Elimination campaign seeks >95% MR coverage through awareness and rapid uptake.
- COVID-19 leadership and recognition: The COVID-19 programme began on January 16, 2021. By January 2023, more than 220 crore doses were administered, with 97% single-dose and 90% double-dose coverage. Vaccine Maitri supported many countries, reflecting Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam. On March 6, 2024, India received the Measles and Rubella Champion Award.
Key initiatives of India’s vaccination drive
- India’s major programme:
- Universal Immunisation Programme (1985): Free immunisation against 12 diseases for newborns and pregnant women.
- Mission Indradhanush (2014): Special drive to vaccinate unvaccinated and partially vaccinated beneficiaries.
- Intensified Mission Indradhanush 5.0 (2023): Catch-up for under-five children and pregnant women left out.
- Digital-first delivery and cold-chain capacity: U-WIN enables anytime-anywhere access, including for migratory families. eVIN and NCCMIS provide real-time stock and equipment visibility. NCCTE (Pune) and NCCVMRC-NIHFW (New Delhi) train technicians for repair and maintenance of cold-chain equipment..
Lessons from India’s vaccination drive
- Mission-mode delivery works at scale: Mission Indradhanush (2014) and IMI phases (from 2017) targeted low-coverage blocks and missed groups, and integration with Gram Swaraj Abhiyan and Extended Gram Swaraj Abhiyan deepened last-mile reach.
- Digital public goods reduce misses and wastage: U-WIN supports end-to-end registration and longitudinal records; eVIN digitises stocks; NCCMIS tracks cold-chain equipment; SAFE-VAC enables safety reporting.
- Domestic capacity builds resilience and solidarity: Make in India, public-private partnerships, and local R&D ensured supply during COVID-19 and enabled Vaccine Maitri, reflecting Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam.
- Surveillance must guide micro-planning: Polio-era systems strengthened vaccine-preventable disease surveillance, enabling sensitive detection and targeted catch-up, including IMI 5.0 (2023) for under-five children.
- A One-Health lens strengthens preparedness: Linking immunisation with joint surveillance of human, animal, and environmental systems supports early risk detection and coordinated response.
Challenges Remain
- Coverage inequities and mobility: State and regional gaps persist due to infrastructure limits and socio-economic barriers. Migrant and urban slum populations are often missed because of mobility and documentation issues.
- Hesitancy and awareness: Cultural beliefs, misinformation, and fear of side effects reduce uptake. Awareness of newer vaccines remains uneven.
- Infrastructure, workforce, and wastage: Cold-chain functionality and timely repairs are uneven in hard-to-reach areas. Workforce shortages strain delivery. Wastage arises from storage lapses, distribution delays, and multi-dose under-use.
Conclusion
Strengthen cold-chain capacity and last-mile facilities in underserved regions. Use micro-plans for low-coverage blocks, migratory routes, and urban slums. Scale U-WIN, eVIN, NCCMIS, and safety reporting for real-time action. Invest in community engagement to counter hesitancy. Integrate immunisation with One-Health surveillance for robust preparedness
Question for practice:
Examine how India’s vaccination drive became a model for low- and middle-income countries.
Source: The Hindu
