Vaccination

Five simple ways to help children overcome their fear of injections

From practising deep breathing to rewarding bravery, small steps can make a big difference in helping children overcome needle-related fears.

How India's vaccine programme ensures access for all, even remote areas

World Immunisation Week 2025: India's Universal Immunisation Programme targets over 50 million beneficiaries each year, with new digital tools aimed at closing the access gap

'Vaccines do not cause autism': Doctors set the record straight on claims

After Zoho founder Sridhar Vembu's remarks reignited the vaccines-autism debate, doctors stress there is no proven link between the two, calling for responsible communication on public health issues

Trump sparks row with unproven Tylenol-autism link, HepB vaccine scheduling

At White House press meet, Trump said Tylenol use in pregnancy may cause autism and also called for delaying Hep B vaccines; experts warn unproven claims risk fuelling confusion, vaccine hesitancy

World wants more vaccines, but anti-vaccine America isn't helping

Most governments are trying to fight vaccine hesitancy with science and investment, while the United States heads in the opposite direction

World Hepatitis Day 2025: What it is, why it matters, what you can do

From silent infections to deadly outcomes, World Hepatitis Day urges testing, vaccination and awareness

Govt sends 300K Measles, Rubella vaccine doses to Bolivia amid outbreak

India on Thursday dispatched a consignment of 300,000 doses of Measles and Rubella vaccines, along with medical supplies, to Bolivia to help the country deal with a growing outbreak of the disease."India dispatched a consignment of 300,000 doses of Measles & Rubella vaccines along with ancillary supplies to support Bolivia in managing the outbreak of the disease. India stands by its friends in the Global South," Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in a post on X.The shipment arrives at a crucial time as Bolivia has declared a National Health Emergency due to a resurgence of measles cases in several areas. So far, 60 confirmed cases have been reported, according to Xinhua."After urgently convening the National Strategic Council for Health Emergencies, in response to the measles epidemic that the country is experiencing and the high risk of the disease spreading, we have decided to declare a National Health Emergency with the firm intention of protecting

Rabies deaths: Kerala to sterilise strays, allow euthanasia of sick dogs

Kerala will launch a crackdown on stray dogs by rolling out mobile sterilisation units in 152 blocks and permitting the euthanasia of seriously ill animals, following public concern over recent rabies-linked deaths in the state. Local Self-Government Minister M B Rajesh said on Wednesday that before deploying the portable ABC (Animal Birth Control) units across the blocks, a pilot study would be conducted in Nedumangad, near here, using one unit under the leadership of the Animal Husbandry Department. "These portable units are more cost-effective than permanent ABC centres," he told a press conference after a joint discussion involving the Animal Husbandry, Local Self-Government, and Law Departments regarding stray dog control. He also said a large-scale vaccination drive for stray dogs would be conducted in August. "Each portable ABC unit will cost Rs 28 lakh. Once an order is placed, it will take about two months for the units to be delivered. During this period, suitable locatio

Over 14 million infants missed all vaccines in 2024, warn WHO and UNICEF

Despite stable global coverage, over 14 million infants received no vaccines in 2024, a worrying gap as efforts to meet Immunization Agenda 2030 targets remain off-track

14 million children did not receive a single vaccine in 2024, says UN

More than 14 million children did not receive a single vaccine last year about the same number as the year before according to UN health officials. Nine countries accounted for more than half of those unprotected children. In their annual estimate of global vaccine coverage, released Tuesday, the World Health Organization and UNICEF said about 89 per cent of children under one year old got a first dose of the diphtheria, tetanus and whooping cough vaccine in 2024, the same as in 2023. About 85 per cent completed the three-dose series, up from 84 per cent in 2023. Officials acknowledged, however, that the collapse of international aid this year will make it more difficult to reduce the number of unprotected children. In January, US President Trump withdrew the country from the WHO, froze nearly all humanitarian aid and later moved to close the US AID Agency. And last month, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said it was pulling the billions of dollars the US had previously ...

India refutes Lancet report, says unvaccinated child rate now lower

A recent Lancet report had grouped India among eight countries having more than half of the world's zero dose children as of 2023

Unvaccinated kids' numbers fell from 0.11% in 2023 to 0.06% in 2024: Govt

The effect of the increased number of lifesaving vaccines in reducing mortality and morbidity in children due to diarrhea, pneumonia, meningitis & encephalitis is also clearly observable

India among 8 nations with half of world's unvaccinated children: Study

India was among the eight countries where more than half the unvaccinated children from around the world lived as of 2023, an analysis published in The Lancet journal showed, "emphasising persistent inequities." Providing global estimates of current vaccine coverage, the study found that the same year, there were 15.7 million children -- 1.44 million in India -- who had received no doses of the diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis vaccine in their first year. An international team of researchers forming the 'Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2023 Vaccine Coverage Collaborators' updated global, regional, and national estimates of routine childhood vaccine coverage from 1980 to 2023 for 204 countries and territories. In 1980, 53.5 per cent of children who had never received a routine childhood vaccine, or 'zero-dose' children, lived in just five countries -- India, China, Indonesia, Pakistan, and Bangladesh --, they said. Routine childhood vaccinations are among the most powerful and ...

On guard, to keep waves at bay: No rush to stockpile Covid vaccines

The virus may have lost its 'bite', but is still highly transmissible, as experts point out

Covid-19 wave returns in Asia, cases increase in Hong Kong, Singapore

Covid-19 cases are rising sharply across Asia, with Hong Kong, Singapore, China, and Thailand reporting spikes. However, despite rising cases elsewhere in Asia, India has not reported any increase

World Immunisation Week 2025: Vaccines save 6 lives a minute, says WHO

World Immunisation Week 2025: WHO's global health campaign reaffirms the power of vaccines in protecting lives and communities; here's all you need to know

From eradicated to epidemic: Why measles has made a comeback in US

Texas has reported over 500 confirmed measles cases, with most patients unvaccinated. Health officials are pushing emergency vaccinations to curb the escalating outbreak

Covid's lessons ignored: The world risks repeating past mistakes

The vaccines allowed Covid to be treated as an aberration, but we must not forget what it really was: A preview of the kind of planetary challenges that await us

Donald Trump to discuss ending childhood vaccination programs with RFK Jr

Robert F. Kennedy Jr is US President-elect Donald Trump's nominee to run the Department of Health and Human Services

Rollout of U-WIN for digitalisation of vaccination services completed: Govt

The nationwide rollout of U-WIN, a digital platform for digitalisation of all vaccination services provided under the Universal Immunisation Programme (UIP), has been completed, the government informed Parliament on Friday. U-WIN is a digital platform for digitalisation of all vaccination services provided under the UIP to ensure timely administration of life-saving vaccines to pregnant women and children (from birth to 16 years) against 12 vaccine-preventable diseases, Minister of State for Health Anupriya Patel said in a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha. The annual target of the UIP is around 2.9 crore pregnant women and 2.6 crore infants (0-1 year). "The nationwide rollout of U-WIN has been completed," Patel said. The key features of the platform include "Anytime Access" and "Anywhere' vaccination services, generation of Ayushman Bharat Health Account (ABHA) and Child ABHA, citizen module, automated SMS alerts, QR-based e-vaccination certificates and offline mode for