Training underway ahead of ‘IMI’ immunization drive in J&K

Srinagar, July 26: Jammu and Kashmir’s Health and Family Welfare Department is training the healthcare workers and is gearing up for the upcoming Intensified Mission Indradhanush (IMI) 5.0 immunization drive, scheduled to commence on August 07.
In anticipation of the vaccination campaign, officials have begun conducting training sessions for healthcare workers to ensure a successful and efficient rollout.
Dr. Tabasum Jabeen, Director Family Welfare, MCH, and Immunization, J&K, said that the training sessions are being conducted at districts, sub-districts, blocks, and involving ASHA and Anganwadi Workers.
“We are also conducting a head count survey of dropouts, left-out, or partially immunized children ahead of the vaccination drive,” she said.
The training program is designed to equip health workers, doctors, nurses etc. with the necessary skills and knowledge required to handle potential challenges during the vaccination process effectively.
The director said once the training and survey are completed, the pre-registration of children will commence, and the information will be updated on the website.
The IMI 5.0 initiative is a critical step in the government’s commitment to improving child and maternal healthcare in the region. The vaccination drive will be conducted in three rounds, with the primary objective of reaching vulnerable and underprivileged communities to provide them with essential immunization services.
Dr Tabasum said they have received the vaccination supplies from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India.
The first round of immunization will commence from Aug 07 and continue till Aug 12 followed by the second round from Sep 11 to Sep16. The third round will start from Oct 09 to Oct 14 to cover children aged 0 to 2 years and expecting mothers for immunization.
“Many children remain unvaccinated as has been seen during the Covid-19 period. There are children who aren’t vaccinated or who are partially vaccinated. Under this program all children and pregnant women will be covered and we will make sure they are vaccinated,” she said.
Dr Tabasum said the Indradhanush 5.0 is also aimed to eliminate Measles and Rubella. “When we cover all the children only then we will be able to achieve that target,” she said.
“Under the intensified Mission Indradhanush 5.0, the Government of India is going to digitize it and it will be named U-Win (win over-vaccination). This platform will be used to register and vaccinate every pregnant woman, register her delivery outcome and required immunizations. And they will get messages of their vaccinations,” she said.
The officials will also focus on areas with vaccine hesitancy/refusal for vaccination and areas with high left-out and drop-out children with a special focus on MR-1 and MR-2.
To strengthen routine immunization planning and delivery mechanisms, the MoHFW, GoI, launched its flagship program “Mission Indradhanush” in December 2014 to achieve more than 90% full immunization coverage in the country.