Mission Indradhanush 5.0 in U.P.: Immunisation drive to reach 12.74L beneficiaries who missed routine doses

The goal of the drive is to extend the vaccine coverage to 12.74 lakh beneficiaries who have missed any of their routine immunisation doses.

LUCKNOW The inaugural phase of Mission Indradhanush 5.0, a specialised immunisation drive, is poised to commence in Uttar Pradesh on Monday. The goal of the drive is to extend the vaccine coverage to 12.74 lakh beneficiaries who have missed any of their routine immunisation doses.

The first phase of the campaign is scheduled to run from August 7 to 12. (HT Photo)

“Prior to the launch, a comprehensive door-to-door headcount survey was conducted by health workers, encompassing a total of 3.87 crore families. This included 2.32 crore children and 3.88 lakh pregnant women within these households. Among them, 1.274 million beneficiaries have not received their required vaccine doses, all of whom will be covered within this campaign,” said Dr Manoj Kumar Shukla, general manager of routine immunisation at the National Health Mission.

According to statistics, more than five lakh children have not yet received their initial Pentavalent-1 dose while over seven lakh children have missed their second dose of the measles-rubella (MR) vaccine. In 2022, Uttar Pradesh accounted for every fourth measles-rubella (MR) outbreak recorded in the country. Among the total of 577 MR outbreaks across India, 141 were reported from the state itself.

The first phase of the campaign is scheduled to run from August 7 to 12, followed by the second phase from September 11 to 16, and the third phase from October 9 to 14. “Vaccines play a pivotal role in saving lives. Administering doses during pregnancy and immediately after birth holds immense significance in safeguarding children against life-threatening infections,” said Dr Amita Shukla, Senior Gynaecologist at the SC Trivedi Memorial Trust Hospital.