The third phase of Health Ministry’s vaccination drive Mission Indradhanush has began. A total of 216 Districts across several States including Bihar, Gujarat, Assam, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh will be covered in this phase. Under the last two phases nearly 39 lakh children have been fully immunised. The Mission Indradhanush, depicting seven colours of the rainbow, aims to cover all those children by 2020 who are either vaccinated, or are partially vaccinated against seven vaccine preventable diseases. The diseases include diphtheria, whooping cough, tetanus, polio, tuberculosis, measles and hepatitis B.

Did You Know?

• Mission Indradhanush was launched by Union Health Minister J.P Nadda on December 25, 2014.
• It aims to immunize all children against seven vaccine preventable diseases namely diphtheria, whooping cough (Pertussis), tetanus, polio, tuberculosis, measles and hepatitis B by 2020.
• The Minister launched the Mission on Good Governance Day to mark the birth anniversary of Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya and birthday of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
• As part of the World Health Organisation’s ‘Polio Endgame Strategy’, administration of inactivated poliovirus vaccine, which has now been introduced as part of the national immunisation programme, was also launched in Karnataka on the occasion.