The Government of India continues to strengthen its nationwide immunization campaign by offering 11 life-saving vaccines free of cost to children under the Universal Immunization Programme (UIP). These vaccines play a vital role in preventing deadly diseases and are administered through routine immunization sessions held weekly across rural and urban areas of the country.
The vaccines provided under the programme include:
Hepatitis B Vaccine
Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV)
Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) Vaccine
Injectable Polio Vaccine (IPV)
Pentavalent Vaccine
Rotavirus Vaccine (RVV)
Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine (PCV)
Measles & Rubella (MR) Vaccine
Diphtheria, Pertussis, Tetanus (DPT) Vaccine
Tetanus and Adult Diphtheria (Td) Vaccine
Japanese Encephalitis (JE) Vaccine
In addition to children, pregnant women are also vaccinated during these sessions to ensure maternal and newborn health. Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) play a key role by conducting door-to-door visits to inform and mobilize beneficiaries ahead of each vaccination session.
To boost vaccine awareness and coverage, the government continues to implement Information, Education and Communication (IEC) initiatives through traditional and digital platforms. These include:
Broadcasts on Doordarshan using prominent media personalities
Radio jingles, YouTube podcasts, and social media outreach on X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, and Facebook
Community-level activities such as miking, posters, and group meetings to reach underserved areas
Over the past five years, several strategic measures have been introduced to improve the reach and effectiveness of immunization drives:
State, District, and Block Task Forces on Immunization (STFI, DTFI, BTFI) oversee and ensure timely implementation of vaccination activities.
Programmes like Intensified Mission Indradhanush have been conducted in low-coverage areas to vaccinate children and pregnant women who were missed or dropped out.
Annual National Immunization Days (NIDs) under the Pulse Polio Programme continue to target polio eradication.
Village Health and Nutrition Days (VHNDs) are observed regularly to integrate immunization with broader health services.
The U-WIN portal, introduced by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, enables digital registration and tracking of vaccination for children and pregnant women—streamlining records and follow-ups.
The Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, Smt. Anupriya Patel, shared these updates in a written reply in the Lok Sabha today, reaffirming the government’s commitment to ensuring universal, equitable, and accessible vaccination for all.