Universal Immunisation Programme

India’s Universal Immunisation Programme (UIP) provides free vaccination to children and pregnant women against selected vaccine-preventable diseases. Introduced in 1985, it operates through a national immunisation schedule specifying which vaccines should be given and at what ages or stages of pregnancy.

Who and what the programme covers

The programme aims to reach all eligible children and pregnant women, rather than restricting vaccination to particular income groups. Its scope includes both primary vaccination and scheduled booster doses.

• Childhood vaccination protects against tuberculosis, poliomyelitis, diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, hepatitis B, measles, rubella, rotavirus diarrhoea, pneumococcal disease and disease caused by Haemophilus influenzae type b.
• Vaccination against Japanese encephalitis is provided in designated endemic districts rather than uniformly throughout the country.
• Vaccination during pregnancy includes tetanus and adult diphtheria vaccine (Td), which contributes to protection against maternal and neonatal tetanus.
• Universal coverage means reaching everyone eligible under the programme; it does not mean that every available vaccine is included.

When and how vaccination is delivered

The National Immunisation Schedule begins at birth and extends beyond infancy into childhood and adolescence. The programme therefore requires repeated contact with health services, not merely a single vaccination visit.

• Birth doses include BCG, oral polio vaccine and hepatitis B vaccine, with subsequent vaccines and doses administered at specified ages.
• Scheduled doses include DPT boosters during childhood and Td at 10 and 16 years.
• Vaccination is delivered through government health facilities and outreach sessions, helping reach populations with limited access to fixed facilities.
• Implementation requires vaccine procurement and distribution, cold-chain maintenance, trained personnel, vaccination records and monitoring of adverse events following immunisation.

Closing coverage gaps

The programme’s public-health objective is to reduce vaccine-preventable illness and deaths through timely and complete vaccination. Providing a first dose is insufficient if subsequent doses or boosters are missed.

• Mission Indradhanush, launched in 2014, supplements routine immunisation by identifying and vaccinating children and pregnant women who are unvaccinated or partially vaccinated.
• Effective coverage depends on reliable services, community awareness and follow-up, particularly for remote, migrant and underserved populations.
• Vaccination complements, rather than replaces, nutrition, sanitation, disease surveillance and accessible treatment.