FACTORS AFFECTING THE
IMPROVEMENT IN FULL
IMMUNIZATION COVERAGE
The factors in vaccine uptake can
broadly be attributed to demand
and supply side issues.
Supply side issues relate to
factors that hinder the reach of
immunization services to the
community – for example, the
need for better infrastructure,
trained man power, ways to
prevent vaccine wastage and stock
outs and increasing accessibility
of the immunization services,
especially in hard to reach areas
and migrant communities.
Supplying specific vaccines, on a
schedule, to more than 2.6 crore
children and 3 crore pregnant
women in more than a crore
immunization sessions across the
country calls for massive cold
chain and supply operations
across the country. India
maintains nearly 27000 cold
chain points that supply vaccines
to about 6 lakhs villages in more
than 650 districts in the country.
In 2014, 40 crore vaccine doses
were administered under the
government’s immunization
programme. To strengthen the
cold chain and supply side
further, technologies like the
electronic vaccine intelligence
network (eVIN) are being scaled
up nationally.
Demand side issues: The
Awareness Gap
While significant improvements
have been made to meet the
supply side challenges in the last
couple of decades, India faces a
huge challenge on the demand
side of the issue. The key reason
for children being partially
immunized or being left
unimmunized is the
communication and awareness
India maintains nearly 27000 cold chain
points that supply vaccines to about 6 lakhs
villages in more than 650 districts in the
country. To strengthen the cold chain and
supply sid