1. Immunization & Vaccine Coverage in India
Zero-Dose Children
- Percentage declined from 0.11% (2023) to 0.06% (2024).
- India had 1.44 million zero-dose children in 2023 (2nd globally after Nigeria).
- Zero Dose Implementation Plan 2024: 143 districts across 11 high-burden states.
- Mission Indradhanush (2014; intensified 2017):
- 5.46 crore children vaccinated
- 1.32 crore pregnant women vaccinated
Disease Elimination
- Polio: Eliminated 2014 (National & Sub-National Immunization Days)
- Maternal & Neonatal Tetanus: Eliminated 2015
- Measles-Rubella Campaign: Launched 2025
2. Vaccine Development & Licensing in India
Dengue
- WHO-approved vaccines:
- Dengvaxia (Sanofi Pasteur)
- TAK-003 (Qdenga)
- India trials: Panacea Biotec & Serum Institute collaborating on indigenous dengue vaccine
- India’s first indigenous dengue vaccine (TetraVax-DV): Developed by Serum Institute of India (Phase 3)
Malaria
- Multi-stage vaccine (AdFalciVax): Developed by ICMR & DBT-NII
- Licensed to 5 Indian companies: Indian Immunologicals Ltd, Techinvention Lifecare Pvt Ltd, Panacea Biotec Ltd, Biological E Ltd, Zydus Lifesciences
- Malaria burden in India:
- 1.4% global cases, 0.9% global deaths
- 52% of malaria deaths outside Sub-Saharan Africa occur in India
- 95% population in malaria-endemic zones; 80% of cases in 20% population (tribal, hilly areas)
Other Vaccine Updates
- Bharat Biotech: Licensed GSK’s Shigella vaccine candidate
- Biological E: To produce Jiangsu Recbio Tech’s 9-valent HPV vaccine (REC603)
- Bharat Biotech (Biovet): Biolumpivaxin – First DIVA vaccine for Lumpy Skin Disease
- Zydus Lifesciences: Launched VaxiFlu-4, India’s first quadrivalent influenza vaccine (WHO-recommended strains)
- Boehringer Ingelheim: Three-in-one poultry vaccine in India
- Bharat Biotech: Oral Cholera Vaccine (Hillchol) completes Phase III trials
- Typhoid & Paratyphoid Vaccines: ICMR invites collaboration for development & commercialization
3. India’s Global Vaccine Initiatives
- Measles-Rubella Vaccine Export: 3 lakh doses sent to Bolivia
- Co-WIN Platform:
- Digital backbone for COVID-19 vaccination (registration, scheduling, tracking, certification)
- Supports multiple vaccines: Covishield, Covaxin, Corbevax, Sputnik-V, etc.
- Enables fair distribution, multilingual access, AEFI monitoring, and policy data generation
4. Co-WIN Global Conclave
- Date: 5 July 2021
- Location: Virtual, 142 countries
- Organizers: MoHFW, MEA, NHA
Key Highlights
- PM Modi presented Co-WIN as a digital public good; principle: “One Earth, One Health”
- Dr. Harsh Vardhan: Co-WIN is a robust, inclusive, scalable system, prevents black marketing, ensures equitable vaccine distribution
- Dr. RS Sharma (NHA CEO):
- First-of-its-kind platform for largest immunization campaign
- 36.5 crore registered users, 1,38,427 vaccination centers
- Dynamic platform, can be scaled for other health interventions
- MEA & Health Officials: Open platform, promotes international collaboration
- Digital tools integrated: Arogya Setu, Covid India Portal, e-Sanjivani
5. Key Public Health Achievements
- Polio-free since 2014
- Maternal & Neonatal Tetanus eliminated
- Significant reduction in zero-dose children
- Strong vaccine R&D ecosystem in India with multiple indigenous vaccines under development
Updated - 9 Oct 2025 ; 9: 30 AM | Admin