In 1985, the “Expanded Programme of Immunization” (EPI) was modified into the “Universal Immunization Programme” (UIP), which would be carried out in stages to cover all districts in the country by 1989–90. It is one of the largest health programs in the world. The Government of India (GoI) provides free vaccination against vaccine-preventable diseases through UIP. The GoI started Mission Indradhanush (MI) in December 2014 to strengthen and re-energize the UIP and get all children and pregnant women immunized rapidly. The highest concentration of children who were either un-immunized or only partially immunized was found in 201 high-focus districts that span 28 states across the nation. Assuring that all children under the age of two and pregnant women would receive the full complement of vaccines was MI’s ultimate objective. The GoI launched the Intensified Mission Indradhanush (IMI) on October 8, 2017 to further intensify the immunization program. Through this program, the GoI intended to reach every child under the age of two, as well as all pregnant women who have been left out of the UIP. The goal of the special drive was to increase immunization rates in a few districts and cities so that by December 2018, more than 90% of the population would be fully immunized. The GoI had launched Intensified Mission Indradhanush 2.0 to ensure reaching the unreached with all available vaccines and speeding up the coverage of children and pregnant women in the designated districts and blocks from December 2019 to March 2020.
This project was commissioned by the MoHFW’s Immunization Technical Support Unit (ITSU).
