Lucknow: Consistent efforts to strengthen routine immunisation in urban areas through a seven-day-a-week vaccination facility have yielded remarkable results, an official spokesperson said on Saturday.
“Launched in health centres across the state in Jan 2023, this initiative increased the rate from 72.4 per cent to 95 per cent over the past two years. It reflects the state’s commitment to ensuring better healthcare accessibility and protection against preventable diseases,” the spokesperson said.
Principal secretary of health and medical education Partha Sarathi Sen Sharma said: “The initiative has helped to bridge immunisation gaps by removing accessibility barriers and prioritising underserved communities.”
State immunisation officer Dr Ajay Gupta said from Jan 2023 to Feb 2025, around 18 lakh children in urban areas were vaccinated.
As per National Family Health Surveys (NFHS-4 and NFHS-5), complete routine immunisation coverage in urban areas was progressing at a slower pace compared to rural regions. To address this, special campaigns were launched at urban health centres. This move has particularly benefited working families and daily wage earners who previously struggled to get their children vaccinated during work hours. Among urban districts, Gorakhpur achieved the highest coverage.
