Introduction

  • Launched on 25 December 2014 by Ministry of Health & Family Welfare (MoHFW), Government of India under National Health Mission
  • Special catch-up campaign to strengthen Universal Immunization Programme (UIP)
  • Objective: Achieve ≥90% full immunization coverage (FIC) rapidly by targeting unvaccinated and partially vaccinated children and pregnant women
  • Focus on 216 high-focus districts initially with low RI coverage, urban slums, migrants, tribal and hard-to-reach areas

Objectives

  • Increase national FIC from ~65% (NFHS-4) to >90%
  • Reduce morbidity and mortality due to 12 vaccine preventable diseases (VPDs)
  • Strengthen RI micro-planning, cold chain, monitoring and community mobilization
  • Bridge equity gaps in immunization coverage

Target Population

  • Children 0–2 years (extended to <5 years in Intensified MI rounds)
  • Pregnant women
  • All UIP beneficiaries in identified low-coverage districts/blocks

Vaccines Covered

  • Initially 7 antigens (BCG, DPT, OPV, Measles, Hepatitis B, Hib, JE in endemic areas)
  • Later expanded to full UIP schedule: Pentavalent, Rotavirus, Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine (PCV), Inactivated Polio Vaccine (IPV), Measles-Rubella (MR), Td, Japanese Encephalitis, HPV (in selected states)
  • All vaccines provided free of cost

Phases of Implementation

  • Mission Indradhanush (MI): 6 phases (2015–2016) covering 554 districts
  • Intensified Mission Indradhanush (IMI): Launched October 2017; 12 phases conducted till IMI 5.0 (up to 2023)
  • Special focus in later phases: Measles-Rubella elimination drive, urban slums, migrant populations

Key Strategies

  • District/block micro-planning based on head-count survey and due-listing
  • Special 7-day immunization drives (4–6 week intervals)
  • Fixed session sites + outreach sessions at Anganwadi centres, schools, urban slums
  • Community mobilization by ASHA, Anganwadi Workers and link workers
  • Use of U-WIN digital platform for beneficiary tracking, due-list generation and real-time monitoring
  • Convergence with RBSK, RKSK, POSHAN Abhiyaan and Ayushman Bharat
  • Regular review by District Task Force on Immunization (DTFI) and Block Task Force

Implementation Mechanism

  • State, district and block level task forces for planning and monitoring
  • Training of ANMs, ASHAs and vaccinators on UIP schedule and cold chain
  • Special emphasis on left-out (never vaccinated) and drop-out children
  • Mobile teams for hard-to-reach areas; Model Immunization Centres in select states

Achievements (as of 2026)

  • 12 phases completed (including IMI 5.0)
  • 5.46 crore children and 1.32 crore pregnant women vaccinated nationwide
  • Full immunization coverage improved significantly; reached 98.4% nationally by January 2026
  • Major contribution to Measles-Rubella elimination efforts and reduction in VPD burden

Recent Developments

  • Integration with U-WIN (National digital platform) for all vaccination records
  • Focus on booster doses and zero-dose children
  • Linkage with routine UIP sessions for sustained coverage
  • Continuation as ongoing catch-up mechanism to maintain >90% FIC