World Immunization Week is celebrated in the last week of April (24 to 30 April). It aims to highlight the collective action needed to ensure that every person is protected from vaccine-preventable diseases. Immunization saves millions of lives and is widely recognized as one of the world’s most successful and cost-effective health interventions. However, nearly 20 million children are still unvaccinated and under-vaccinated worldwide. Expanding access to immunization is crucial to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.
The theme this year is #VaccinesWork for All and the focus is on how vaccines and the people who develop, deliver and receive them are heroes by working to protect the health of everyone, everywhere.
2020 campaign objectives
The main goal of the campaign is to show the importance of vaccination in improving health and wellness of everyone everywhere.
As part of the 2020 campaign, World Health Organization (WHO) and partners aim to:
During current COVID-19 pandemic there is risk of disruption to routine immunization activities. Once local transmission of the COVID-19 is reduced and primary health care services are resumed, new Immunization delivery strategies may need to be adapted and should be conducted under safe conditions, without undue harm to health workers, caregivers and the community. While the experts all over the world are making great efforts to develop a new vaccine for COVID-19, we must also ensure that people are protected against those diseases for which vaccines already exist.
Know about ‘Guiding principles for immunization activities during the COVID-19 pandemic’-Click here
Immunization programmes in India:
Universal Immunization Programme (UIP):
Government of India is providing vaccination free of cost against vaccine preventable diseases include diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, polio, measles, severe form of childhood tuberculosis, hepatitis B, meningitis and pneumonia (Hemophilus influenza type B infections), Japanese encephalitis (JE) in JE endemic districts and newer vaccines such as rotavirus vaccine, IPV, adult JE vaccine, pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) and measles-rubella (MR) vaccine under UIP.
Mission Indradhanush:
To strengthen and re-energize the UIP and achieve full immunization coverage for all children and pregnant women at a rapid pace, the Government of India launched “Mission Indradhanush” in December 2014.
Intensified Mission Indradhanush (IMI) and IMI 2.0:
To further intensify the immunization programme, the Intensified Mission Indradhanush (IMI) was launched on October 8, 2017 and Intensified Mission Indradhanush 2.0 in December 2019-March 2020 with the aim to achieve targets of full immunization coverage in 272 districts in 27 States and at block level (652 blocks) in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar among hard-to-reach and tribal populations .
NHP Indradhanush Immunization (mobile application):
Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW), Government of India had launched a mobile application to make parents and guardians aware about the immunization schedule of their children and for tracking their immunization status. Application can be downloaded from Google play store.
“Vaccines work at all ages, everywhere".
Know more about vaccines under UIP at https://www.nhp.gov.in/universal-immunisation-programme_pg.
World Immunization Week 2019- https://www.nhp.gov.in/world-immunization-week-2019_pg
World Immunization Week 2018 https://www.nhp.gov.in/world-immunization-week_pg
References:
https://www.who.int/news-room/events/detail/2020/04/24/default-calendar/world-immunization-week-2020
pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=171499
