Govt announces vaccination drive

LIKELY TO TAKE PLACE FROM JANUARY TO APRIL NEXT YEAR

- AIMAN FATIMA

NEW DELHI: In response to a concerning decline in immunization rates among children, the Delhi government has announced a targeted pediatric immunization campaign, likely set to run from January to April 2025. The move follows alarming findings by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Health Management Information System (HMIS), which highlighted a significant drop in vaccine coverage and an increase in the number of children missing essential immunizations.

Health officials revealed that a rising number of "zero-doser" children, those who have not received any vaccinations, have been reported in Delhi. The latest HMIS data also shows a notable decrease in immunization rates when compared to previous years. WHO monitoring has further revealed that many children are missing out on age-specific vaccines, which poses a risk to public health.