Master10
Public Health, Nutrition & Epidemics Module

Universal Immunization Programme & Epidemic Control

India's Universal Immunization Programme (UIP), initiated in 1985 from the Expanded Programme on Immunization, is one of the largest public health interventions in the world. It provides free vaccines against twelve life-threatening vaccine-preventable diseases, including tuberculosis, polio, measles, rubella, rotavirus diarrhea, and Japanese encephalitis. Mission Indradhanush and its Intensified editions were introduced to systematically close immunization gaps in under-vaccinated districts. India achieved landmark public health milestones with the certification of Polio eradication by the WHO in 2014 and Maternal and Neonatal Tetanus elimination in 2015. Outbreak investigation and disease containment are steered by the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) and the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP).

Key Concepts & Examination Highlights

  • India was officially certified Polio-free by the World Health Organization (WHO) on 27 March 2014.
  • Mission Indradhanush was launched in December 2014 to ensure full immunization coverage for children and pregnant women.
  • The UIP provides protection against 12 vaccine-preventable diseases (including nationally and regionally administered antigens).
  • The National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) in Delhi acts as the nodal agency for disease surveillance and epidemic response.
  • India's Universal Immunization Programme (UIP) was launched in 1985, evolving from the Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI) introduced in 1978.
  • Nationally, the UIP provides free vaccination against Diphtheria, Pertussis, Tetanus, Polio, Measles, Rubella, severe childhood Tuberculosis, Rotavirus diarrhea, Hepatitis B, and Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib).
  • Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine (PCV) and Japanese Encephalitis (JE) vaccines are administered in endemic states and selected districts under the UIP schedule.
  • India achieved Maternal and Neonatal Tetanus Elimination (MNTE) validation from the WHO in August 2015, ahead of the global deadline.
  • Electronic Vaccine Intelligence Network (eVIN) is an indigenously developed digital system that monitors vaccine supply chains, stock levels, and storage temperatures in real time across cold-chain points.
  • The Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP), launched in 2004 with World Bank assistance, detects and responds to early warning signals of communicable disease outbreaks.
  • Intensified Mission Indradhanush (IMI) 5.0, rolled out in 2023, emphasizes special vaccination drives for children up to 5 years of age and pregnant women who missed routine doses.
  • The U-WIN platform, modeled on Co-WIN, was launched under the Universal Immunization Programme to maintain a digital registry tracking every pregnant woman and newborn for routine vaccinations.
  • The National Strategic Plan (NSP) for Tuberculosis Elimination sets the ambitious target to eliminate TB in India by 2025, five years ahead of the global Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) target of 2030.
  • The Ni-kshay platform is an online portal developed by the Central TB Division to monitor tuberculosis case notification, adherence, drug regimens, and direct benefit transfer incentives under the Ni-kshay Poshan Yojana.
  • The National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme (NVBDCP) is the umbrella agency for prevention and control of six vector-borne diseases: Malaria, Dengue, Chikungunya, Japanese Encephalitis, Kala-azar, and Lymphatic Filariasis.
  • The Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897 empowers central and state governments to take special measures and prescribe temporary regulations to contain dangerous epidemic outbreaks.
  • The Disaster Management Act, 2005 was invoked nationwide in March 2020 to enforce lockdowns and coordinated public health measures during the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • The National Leprosy Eradication Programme (NLEP) achieved the national elimination goal of less than 1 case per 10,000 population at the national level in December 2005, though district-level eradication efforts continue.
  • The National AIDS Control Programme (NACP), administered by the National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO) since 1992, implements targeted interventions and provides free Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) nationwide.
  • Trachoma was officially declared eliminated as a public health problem in India by the World Health Organization in October 2024.
  • The National Rabies Control Programme (NRCP) aims to prevent human rabies deaths through post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) vaccination and animal birth control measures to achieve zero dog-mediated rabies deaths by 2030.
  • Bedaquiline and Delamanid are newer oral antimicrobial drugs introduced under the National Tuberculosis Elimination Program (NTEP) to treat Multi-Drug Resistant TB (MDR-TB).
  • The Measles-Rubella (MR) vaccination campaign targets children between 9 months and 15 years to eliminate measles and control congenital rubella syndrome (CRS).
  • One Health approach in India integrates human health, animal health, and environmental management under the National One Health Mission to combat zoonotic spillover and antimicrobial resistance (AMR).
  • The National Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance (NAP-AMR) was launched in 2017 to combat antibiotic misuse through surveillance, infection control, and regulatory restrictions on over-the-counter antibiotic sales.
  • The BCG vaccine is given intradermally at birth or up to one year of age to protect against severe disseminated forms of childhood tuberculosis such as tuberculous meningitis.
  • The Pentavalent vaccine, administered at 6, 10, and 14 weeks of age, combines protection against five life-threatening diseases: Diphtheria, Pertussis, Tetanus, Hepatitis B, and Hib.
  • The Inactivated Polio Vaccine (IPV) is administered via fractional intradermal doses (fIPV) at 6 and 14 weeks of age to complement oral polio vaccine drops.
  • The Measles-Rubella (MR) vaccine is administered in two routine doses: first at 9–12 months of age and second at 16–24 months of age under the UIP schedule.
  • The Japanese Encephalitis (JE) vaccine (live-attenuated SA 14-14-2) is administered in two routine doses in 231 endemic districts across India under the UIP schedule.
  • The Tetanus and adult Diphtheria (Td) vaccine replaced the Tetanus Toxoid (TT) vaccine in the UIP schedule for pregnant women and adolescents at 10 and 16 years of age.
  • National Immunization Day (NID) and Sub-National Immunization Days (SNIDs) are organized annually in India to conduct Pulse Polio mass vaccination campaigns.
  • The National Technical Advisory Group on Immunization (NTAGI) is India's apex technical advisory body that evaluates scientific evidence and provides policy recommendations on introducing new vaccines.
  • The National Polio Surveillance Project (NPSP), a joint collaboration between the Government of India and WHO, maintains acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) surveillance to maintain polio-free status.
  • Acute Flaccid Paralysis (AFP) surveillance requires reporting and investigating any sudden onset of flaccid weakness in children under 15 years within 48 hours to rule out poliovirus.
  • Environmental surveillance for poliovirus involves testing sewage and wastewater samples from sentinel sites across major cities to detect any silent shedding of poliovirus.
  • The National Viral Hepatitis Control Program (NVHCP), launched in 2018, aims to eliminate Hepatitis C by 2030 and significantly reduce morbidity and mortality from Hepatitis B, A, and E.
  • The National Leprosy Eradication Programme (NLEP) conducts Leprosy Case Detection Campaigns (LCDC) and provides Multi-Drug Therapy (MDT) combining rifampicin, dapsone, and clofazimine free of charge.
  • Nikshay Mitra is a community engagement initiative under the Pradhan Mantri TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan where individual donors provide nutritional and diagnostic support to TB patients.
  • The Ni-kshay Poshan Yojana provides a monthly direct benefit transfer (DBT) of ₹500 (increased to ₹1,000) to every notified tuberculosis patient for nutritional support during treatment.
  • Line Probe Assay (LPA) and Cartridge Based Nucleic Acid Amplification Test (CBNAAT / GeneXpert) are rapid molecular diagnostic tests for tuberculosis and rifampicin drug resistance.
  • Truenat is an indigenously developed portable, battery-operated micro-PCR device validated by ICMR and WHO for point-of-care diagnosis of tuberculosis and multidrug resistance in primary healthcare settings.
  • The National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme utilizes Indoor Residual Spraying (IRS) with synthetic pyrethroids and Long-Lasting Insecticidal Nets (LLINs) for malaria vector control.
  • Mass Drug Administration (MDA) rounds for Lymphatic Filariasis elimination administer a triple-drug therapy regimen (IDA: Ivermectin, Diethylcarbamazine, and Albendazole) in endemic districts.
  • The National One Health Programme for Zoonoses (NOHPZ) integrates surveillance and joint outbreak response protocols between veterinary departments and public health authorities.
  • The Integrated Health Information Platform (IHIP) is a web-enabled real-time digital surveillance system operating under the IDSP for tracking 33 outbreak-prone communicable diseases.
  • The National Institute of Epidemiology (NIE) in Chennai, an institute under ICMR, conducts advanced field epidemiology training and community intervention trials on infectious disease control.
  • The National Institute of Malaria Research (NIMR) in New Delhi leads applied field and laboratory research on malaria vector biology, drug resistance, and control strategies.
  • The National Centre for Vector Borne Diseases Control (NCVBDC) oversees national policies and guidelines for preventing vector-borne tropical diseases in India.
  • World Immunization Week is celebrated globally every year in the last week of April (24 to 30 April) to highlight the collective action needed to protect people from vaccine-preventable diseases.
Curriculum & Reference Sources: Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW), World Health Organization (WHO), National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).

Sample Solved Questions & Concept Explanations

8 Verified Concept Questions
Q1.EASY

In which year was India officially certified as a 'Polio-free' country by the World Health Organization (WHO) after zero wild poliovirus transmission for over three consecutive years?

Q2.MEDIUM

Which flagship Government of India immunization mission was launched in December 2014 to achieve over 90% full immunization coverage for unvaccinated or partially vaccinated children and pregnant women?

Q3.HARD

Japanese Encephalitis (JE), a viral brain infection targeted under India's Universal Immunization Programme in endemic districts, is primarily transmitted to humans by which mosquito vector?

Q4.EASY

Which vaccine is administered at birth to infants to protect them against severe childhood manifestations of Tuberculosis (such as TB meningitis and miliary TB)?

Q5.EASY

The live-attenuated Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV) used worldwide in pulse polio campaigns was developed by which medical researcher?

Q6.EASY

Which chronic infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium leprae is targeted for complete elimination under the National Leprosy Eradication Programme (NLEP)?

Q7.EASY

Which mosquito genus is the biological vector responsible for transmitting Malaria to humans?

Q8.EASY

What mosquito species is the principal daytime-biting urban vector for transmitting Dengue virus and Chikungunya in India?