Essential Programme on Immunization

About Essential Programme on Immunization: 

• It was launched as the Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI) by World Health Organisation in 1974 to ensure that all children, in all countries, benefited from life-saving vaccines.
• This programme has evolved into what is now commonly known as the Essential Programme on Immunization.
• Disease covered (Total 13)
  • Initially this programme focused on protection against six childhood vaccine-preventable diseases namely Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG), diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, polio, and measles.
  • Later on WHO added 7 more disease under this initiative Haemophilus influenzae type B (Hib), Hepatitis B (HepB), rubella, pneumococcal disease (PNC), rotavirus (Rota), human papillomavirus (HPV), and COVID-19 (for adults).

India’s Universal Immunization Programme (UIP)

• India launched the EPI in 1978, which was later renamed as the Universal Immunization Programme (UIP) in 1985. 
• Objectives:
  • To rapidly increase immunization coverage.
  • To improve the quality of services.
  • To establish a reliable cold chain system to the health facility level.
  • Monitoring of performance.
  • To achieve self-sufficiency in vaccine production.
• Eligibility:
  • All beneficiaries’ namely pregnant women and children can get themselves vaccinated at the nearest Government/Private health facility or at an immunization session site (Anganwadicentres/ other identified sites) near to their village/urban locality on fixed days.
  • The UIP covers all sections of the society across the country with the same high quality vaccines.
• Under UIP, immunization is providing free of cost against 12 vaccine preventable diseases
• Nationally against 9 diseases – Diphtheria, Pertussis, Tetanus, Polio, Measles, Rubella, severe form of Childhood Tuberculosis, Hepatitis B and Meningitis & Pneumonia caused by Hemophilus Influenza type B
• Sub-nationally against 3 diseases – Rotavirus diarrhoea, Pneumococcal Pneumonia and Japanese Encephalitis; of which Rotavirus vaccine and Pneumococcal Conjugate vaccine are in process of expansion while JE vaccine is provided only in endemic districts.

Q1: What is Immunization?

It is a process by which a person becomes protected against a disease through vaccination. This term is often used interchangeably with vaccination or inoculation.

Source: Make EPI an ‘Essential Programme on Immunisation’

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