The Indian Ministry of Health has refuted claims that India has a high number of unvaccinated children compared to other countries, citing incomplete data and a lack of consideration for population size and overall immunization coverage. The ministry emphasizes that India’s overall immunization coverage is higher than the global average, with most antigens exceeding 90% coverage, comparable to high-income countries like New Zealand, Germany, Finland, and Sweden.
The ministry highlights that India’s DTP-1 coverage is above 90%, surpassing other compared nations. It also points out that the number of “zero-dose” children in India accounts for only 0.11% of the total population.
The ministry emphasizes the government’s commitment to expanding the scope and reach of its immunization program, highlighting the country’s Universal Immunization Programme (UIP), which reaches 2.6 crore children and 2.9 crore pregnant women annually. It notes that India’s Full Immunization Coverage for FY 2023-24 stands at 93.23%, contributing to a significant reduction in the Under-5 Mortality Rate.
India’s UIP has been expanded since 2014 to include six new vaccines, and initiatives like Mission Indradhanush have been implemented to reach zero-dose and under-vaccinated children, resulting in a 34% reduction in zero-dose children between 2014 and 2023.
The ministry stresses that India provides the maximum number of WHO-recommended vaccines under its UIP compared to most other countries, with a mean coverage exceeding 10 percentage points of the global average. Finally, India’s high OPV and IPV coverage has contributed to 13 years of polio-free status.
