State health & family welfare (H&FW) department is set to launch the Intensified Mission Indradhanush (IMI) 5.0 on August 7, 2023, with an aim to strengthen routine immunization under the Universal Immunization Programme (UIP).
In a press release, state immunization officer, H&FW, Dr. Imkongtemsu Longchar informed that the objective of IMI 5.0 was to identify all children up to 5 years for missed doses, register them on U-WIN and vaccinate them in specially planned IMI sessions. Three rounds of IMI would be conducted in 2023: first round (August 7-12), second round: (Sep-tember 11-16) and third round (October 9-14).
For first round of IMI, the state has created 209 IMI sessions with updated child target of 1155 (0-2 years), 730 (2-5 years) and 179 pregnant women.
The department informed these were beneficiaries, who were unvaccinated and partially vaccinated children and pregnant mothers who did not take up timely immunization schedule. If some beneficiaries are missed in the headcount, there is the option for onsite registration for which an ID card will be required (Aadhaar card, PAN card, passport, driving license, service card, ration card or any government approved ID card).
The department stated that Nagaland along with rest of India is was committed to eliminating Mea-sles and Rubella (MR) by 2023 by achieving at least 95% vaccination coverage. It stated that IMI 5.0 would, therefore, provide a big opportunity to help achieve and push towards the goal for MR elimi-nation too.
India launched its flagship programme, Mission Indradhanush (MI), a periodic immunization intensi-fication drive in December 2014. The mission, over the last nine years, has shown a positive impact on immunization coverage. The mission was further intensified in 2017 with increased focus on ur-ban areas with better interdepartmental coordination.
These efforts resulted in India achieving a substantial increase in the full immunization coverage of 76.4% (NFHS-5, 2019-21) as compared to 62% (NFHS-4, 2015-16) and for Nagaland at 58% ((NFHS-5, 2019-21) as compared to 35% (NFHS-4, 2015-16).
However, globally and in India, the achievements made in the past have been hindered by the COVID-19 pandemic along with other factors limiting vaccination coverage which includes large, mo-bile, and isolated populations that are difficult to reach, low demand from under-informed or misin-formed populations and fear of side effects after vaccination.
By focusing on such populations where these programmatic challenges exist, IMI drives target to vaccinate these left out and dropped out children and eligible pregnant women who were missed in Routine Immunization activities.
Challenge of high dropout rates: Drop outs are those beneficiaries who are partially vaccinated and they fail to complete the adequate dose of immunization schedule for full protection.
According to NFHS-5, the dropout rate for OPV1-OPV3 showed the highest dropout in Nagaland (23.8%), followed by Manipur (20.7%).
The highest dropout rate for Penta 1-Penta 3 was observed in Nagaland (15.0%) and Manipur (12.9%), followed by Kerala (11.0%) and Uttar Pradesh (11.05%) (OPV and Penta vaccines are given in three doses at 6 weeks, 10 weeks and 14 weeks respectively)
Advocacy and awareness are some of the key areas for which support has to be mobilized to create demand generation of services. The community needs to know the importance of immunizing the child at the right age to ensure that the child receives full protection. The vaccines are available free of cost at all Government health facilities and that every unvaccinated or partially vaccinated child is at risk of life-threatening disease.
The upcoming IMI Rounds and the Routine Immunization activities can be sustained only through multi-stakeholder approach – Support from allied departments, Faith Based Organizations (FBOs) Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), Village Council Chairperson, Women leaders and members of IMA, IAP, IDA, Rotary, Lions etc.
The department has appealed all responsible to ensure that all children under 5 years of age com-plete their dose during this special immunization sessions being organized in their area as part of IMI.