Union Health Ministry to launch "Indradhanush 2" for covering low immunisation pockets

New Delhi (India), Oct 22 (ANI): In its bid to cover the areas identified as low immunisation pockets, the Union Health Ministry will carry out massive immunisation program in 271 districts across the nation and 652 blocks located in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar from December 2 under the "Mission Indradhanush 2.0".

The extensive immunisation program will cover children up to 2 years of age and all pregnant women.

The "Mission Indradhanush 2.0" is slated to be launched by Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan on October 31 falling on the silver jubilee of the Polio eradication campaign, but will come into implementation from December 2.

"We will be carrying out massive vaccinations program in low immunisation pockets located in 271 districts and also in 652 blocks of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar," said the Health Ministry official.

"Total vaccination program is dedicated for children up to 2 years of age and for all pregnant women," he added.

About 12 various kinds of vaccines are included under the mission out of which ten categories of vaccines will be used nationwide while the other two vaccines are put under sub-vaccination levels.

"The two vaccines which are put under sub-vaccination level are for diseases like Japanese Encephalitis and Pneumococcal conjugate vaccine which occurs in high-end endemic areas," said the official.

Speaking on the occasion Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan recalled his memory of the Polio Eradication program way back in 1994 and said: "It was massive teamwork by all stakeholders together to eradicate polio. We started it from Delhi and gradually it became a national movement calling Pulse Polio Campaign."

"In a single day, we reached at least one million children up to the age of 3 years. Two doses of OPV were administered to these children on October 2 and December 4 through exclusive booth based strategy," said the minister.

This year marks 25 years since the first Polio Eradication Campaign was started in Delhi by the then Health Minister of Delhi as a pilot project which as replicated by other states to fight with the menace of polio. In 2014, WHO rewarded India as Polio Free Nation which is one of the most significant achievements in the public healthcare sector.