Union Health Minister J P Nadda launches India-made tetanus and adult diphtheria (Td) vaccine under Universal Immunization Programme (UIP)

Key facts

• Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare J P Nadda launched the indigenously manufactured tetanus and adult diphtheria (Td) vaccine at the Central Research Institute (CRI) in Kasauli, Himachal Pradesh.
• The Td vaccine has been introduced for supply under the Universal Immunization Programme (UIP) and CRI will supply 55 lakh doses to UIP by April.
• India achieved Maturity Level 3 in the World Health Organization (WHO) global benchmarking of regulatory systems, reflecting robust vaccine regulatory standards.
• Under the Vaccine Maitri initiative, India supplied vaccines to nearly 100 countries, with 48 countries receiving vaccines free of cost.
• CRI is the first government institute to manufacture vaccines under Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) standards.
• Universal Immunization Programme is the world’s largest immunisation programme, providing 11 vaccines against 12 vaccine-preventable diseases.
• The annual immunisation cohort under UIP comprises nearly 5 crore beneficiaries, including around 2.5 crore pregnant women and 2.5 crore children.
• Vaccine coverage in India has reached nearly 99 per cent due to systematic tracking and sustained immunisation efforts.