Routine shots rolled out after Covid delay

NEW DELHI: The Centre has rolled out the fourth round of Intensified Mission Indradhanush (IMI 4. 0) to offset the impact of Covid-19 on routine immunisation among children and pregnant women, who may have missed taking the prescribed shots at the specified time.

According to the fifth National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5), full immunisation coverage among kids aged 12-23 months stands at about 76%. However, the immunisation suffered a major slowdown during the pandemic, particularly in rural and far flung areas.

The mission aims to fill the gaps and make lasting gains towards the Universal Immunisation Programme targeted at over 3 crore pregnant women and 2. 6 crore children. IMI 4. 0 will be conducted in three rounds across 416 districts across 33 States and UTs in the country. The first round of the campaign is beginning from February 7.