Punjab Health Minister launches immunisation drive Intensified Mission Indradhanush 5.0'

Punjab Health Minister Balbir Singh on September 11 launched the "intensified Mission Indradhanush 5.0" (IMI 5.0), aimed at overcoming barriers including hesitancy, myths and taboos related to vaccination, an official statement said. The event highlighted the importance of vaccinating eligible children to strengthen their immunity, it said.

Speaking at the event in Mohali, Singh said as part of IMI 5.0, the health department will focus on overcoming the issues that hindered vaccination coverage and also cover the population that was left out of routine immunisation efforts. The state has conducted comprehensive training at various levels to emphasise the importance of reaching out to those, who have not been vaccinated or are only partially vaccinated and incorporating them into the immunisation programme.

Punjab Health Department has planned 6,156 sessions to target 60,670 children (0-5 years) and 10,163 pregnant women," he said. He also emphasised that this campaign prioritises children aged between 0 to 5 years who have not received any vaccines, with the ultimate goal of providing life-saving vaccinations to all eligible children.