Status of India’s immunization programme: Achieving goals of global vaccine action plan

Abstract

In May 2012, World Health Assembly approved the Global Vaccine Action Plan (GVAP). The aim of GVAP is to achieve the Decade of Vaccines vision by delivering universal access to immunization. The mission of GVAP is to improve health by 2020 by extending full benefits of immunization to all people all over the world. Various indicators assessing the progress of the countries’ immunization program are available on the GVAP portal along with annual data of these countries. The immunization programs of the countries can be evaluated and compared based on these indicators. Immunization programme of India is one of the largest programme in the world and caters to a birth cohort of 2.6 million. In last decade, new vaccines like Pentavalent, Inactivated Polio Vaccine (IPV), Pneumococcal Conjugated Vaccine (PCV), Measles & Rubella vaccine and rotavirus vaccine have been introduced along with new technology like electronic vaccine intelligence network (eVIN) to monitor the vaccine logistics. National Technical Advisory Group on Immunization (NTAGI) and Adverse Effect following Immunization (AEFI) surveillance establishment in India has further strengthened the program. The Universal Immunization Programme of India is moving in a direction that is consistent with the perspective of the global vaccine action plan (GVAP) making it possible for the country to achieve most of the targets laid down by GVAP by 2020. Keywords: Global Vaccine Action Plan, Immunization, UIP, NTAGI, AEFI