Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan launched Intensified Mission Indradhanush (IMI) 3.0 which will be conducted in two rounds starting from February 22 and March 22 across 250 districts/urban areas identified in 29 States/Union Territories. As per the guidelines released for IMI 3.0, the districts have been classified to reflect 313 low risk; 152 as a medium risk; and 250 as high-risk districts.
IMI 3.0 is an initiative by the government to provide immunization free of cost to pregnant women and children in India. Focus of the IMI 3.0 will be the children and pregnant women who have missed their vaccine doses during the COVID-19 pandemic. They will be identified and vaccinated during the two rounds of IMI 3.0. Each round will be for 15 days each. Beneficiaries from migration areas and hard to reach areas will be targeted as they may have missed their vaccine doses during COVID 19. To strengthen and re-energize the programme and achieve full immunization coverage for all children and pregnant women at a rapid pace, the Government of India launched “Mission Indradhanush” in December 2014.
Every year the Universal Immunization Programme caters to the vaccination needs of 2.65 crore children and 2.9 crore pregnant women against 12 Vaccine-Preventable Diseases.”
