World Immunization Week is celebrated every year during the last week of April (April 24-30) to raise awareness about the importance of immunization. “Vaccines Work” is the theme of this year. Immunization is a process in which a person is given vaccine to make him/her immune or resistant to an infectious disease. Vaccine stimulates immune system to protect the person against the disease or infection.

Immunization is one of the most cost effective public health investments. Almost one third of deaths among child under five are preventable by a vaccine shot. According to World Health Organization (WHO), one out of five children worldwide is missing out on vital immunization. There are 25 diseases that can be prevented by vaccines including diphtheria, measles,pertussis, pneumonia, polio, rotavirus diarrhoea, rubella and tetanus.

The Government of India launched the Universal ImmunizationProgram (UIP) in 1985, one of the largest health programs of its kind in theworld. Under the UIP, allvaccines are given free of cost to the beneficiaries as per the NationalImmunization Schedule. But only 65% children have been covered in the first year.After that the growth is decreasing by 1% every year.

To escalate the reach of immunization, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Govt. of India has launched Mission Indradhanush on 25th December 2014 with the aim of expanding immunization coverage to all children across India by year 2020. The Mission Indradhanush, depicting seven colours of  the rainbow, targets to immunize all children against seven vaccine preventable diseases namely diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, childhood tuberculosis, polio,hepatitis b and measles.

The Government has identified 201 high focus districtsacross 28 states in the country that have the highest number of partially immunized and unimmunized children. For the immunization, you can consult any Pediatrician. You can easily book an appointment with any Pediatrician fromwww.lazoi.com./