Question : Vaccination Missed during Lockdown Period

Will the Minister of HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE be pleased to state:
(a) whether maximum delay of 20 days is the permissible time limit that is prevalent for the vaccination of the small children, if so, the details thereof;
(b) whether Government has noted that due to the delay in vaccination of pregnant women and children caused by lockdown, earlier vaccination/ treatment would be rendered ineffective leading to their revaccination;
(c) if so, the details thereof;
(d) whether Government proposes to conduct a study to find a possibility of alternative solution in this regard, if so, the details thereof; and
(e) whether Government proposes to launch any campaign for such cases of missed vaccination, if so, the details and the outcome thereof?

ANSWER
THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND
FAMILY WELFARE
(SHRI ASHWINI KUMAR CHOUBEY)
(a): There is no time limit specified for maximum delay with regard to vaccination of small children. However, there is a requirement of a minimum gap of 4 weeks between two subsequent doses of a vaccine.
(b) & (c): In case the vaccination of pregnant women or children gets delayed on account of any reason, earlier vaccination does not become ineffective. No revaccination is required in such a case.
(d) & (e): There is no such study proposed by Ministry of Health & Family Welfare.
Government is conducting immunization intensification drives like Mission Indradhanush (MI) & Intensified Mission Indradhanush (IMI) from time to time, and the recent IMI 3.0, to improve immunization coverage and reach the missed out children. Under such drives focus is given on pockets of low immunization coverage and hard to reach areas where the proportion of unvaccinated and partially vaccinated children is reported to be higher. Besides this, regular reviews are conducted with the states/UTs to improve the immunization coverage.