The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) has concluded the fifth edition of the Intensified Mission Indradhanush (IMI 5.0). A press release was issued on 12th October, 2023.
This routine immunization campaign is aimed at reaching underserved children and pregnant women across India. This year’s IMI 5.0 campaign officially ended with the conclusion of its third round on October 14, 2023.
IMI 5.0 is a comprehensive initiative designed to ensure that routine immunization services extend to missed-out and dropped-out children, as well as pregnant women throughout the country. This year’s campaign was expanded to include children up to five years of age, a departure from previous iterations that focused on children up to two years of age.
One of the primary objectives of IMI 5.0 is to enhance immunization coverage for all vaccines provided under the Universal Immunization Programme (UIP), following the National Immunization Schedule (NIS). A particular emphasis was placed on improving the coverage of Measles and Rubella vaccinations, with the ambitious goal of eliminating Measles and Rubella by 2023. Additionally, this year marked the initiation of the use of the U-WIN digital platform for Routine Immunization in a pilot mode across all districts in the country.
IMI 5.0 unfolded in three rounds held from August to October 2023, with each round lasting for six days, inclusive of a designated Routine Immunization Day. All States and Union Territories (UTs), except Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, and Punjab, successfully completed all three rounds of the IMI 5.0 campaign by October 14, 2023. The remaining four states, due to unforeseen circumstances, commenced the campaign in August and are currently conducting the second round. They are scheduled to conduct the third round in November 2023.
As of September 30, 2023, the campaign has successfully administered vaccine doses to over 34,69,705 children and 6,55,480 pregnant women during the first two rounds across the country.
The IMI 5.0 campaign implemented operational guidelines and a comprehensive communication strategy. This strategy adopted a 360-degree approach that included advocacy, addressing vaccine hesitancy, and engaging local influencers and leaders. Various Information, Education, and Communication (IEC) materials were distributed to all States and UTs for adaptation into local languages, ensuring that key messages reached the masses effectively.
One noteworthy aspect of IMI 5.0 was the active participation of Jan pratinidhis (public representatives) and social media influencers across all States and UTs. They encouraged the public to visit the nearest vaccination centers and urged families and communities to ensure that missed doses for children and pregnant women were administered.
Since the inception of Mission Indradhanush in 2014, a total of 11 phases have been completed across the country. The ongoing 12th phase has already achieved a cumulative vaccination of 5.06 crore children and 1.25 crore pregnant women as part of this vital public health campaign.
