GUWAHATI: In a crucial step towards bolstering vaccination coverage and ensuring every child's health, the Assam Government unveiled the Intensified Mission Indradhanush (IMI) 5.0 programme, which is set to commence on August 7, and continue until October 2023. The programme aims to vaccinate unvaccinated or partially vaccinated children aged between 0 to 5 years, providing them with life-saving vaccines.
Additionally, it targets achieving 95 per cent vaccination coverage of two doses of Measles and Rubella containing Vaccine (MRCV) in every district across the state, with a focus on eradicating measles and rubella, two highly contagious and vaccine-preventable diseases. The mission also includes vaccinating any left-out pregnant women with Td vaccine.
The IMI 5.0 programme will be inaugurated by the Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma at Borjuri, Bokakhat, in the Golaghat district on Monday.
With a significant emphasis on vaccination coverage, the programme targets approximately one lakh left-out and dropout children between 0-5 years of age, along with pregnant women. Additional beneficiaries will be included in the subsequent second and third rounds in the months of September and October, respectively.
The programme will be implemented across all districts under the leadership and supervision of the District Commissioners, with active support from other line stakeholder departments and United Nations (UN) agencies. Special focus areas include Tea Gardens, Char areas, forest areas, hilly regions, migratory populations, and flood-prone areas.
Mission Indradhanush will also see the U-WIN platform being rolled out throughout the state and country, aiming for the digitalisation of paper-based recording and reporting of immunisation.