Zero-Dose Kids In India: Dropped From 0.11% In 2023 To 0.06% In 2024, Says Health Ministry

Days after the latest Lancet paper marked India among eight countries with a high burden of zero-dose children--those who had never received a routine childhood vaccine- in 2023, the Government on Saturday sought to trash the observation stating the percentage of zero-dose children in India has actually declined to 0.06 per cent in 2024 from 0.11 per cent in 2023.

It also sought to remind that the country’s large population size, and high vaccination coverage rate must be considered when making such comparisons.

The government also noted that “India’s antigen-wise immunisation coverage surpasses global averages across all antigens” driven by continued, sustained efforts and intensified implementation of vaccination campaigns across the country.

“India’s percentage of Zero-dose children to the total population has declined from 0.11% in 2023 to 0.06% in 2024, positioning it as a global exemplar in child health, as acknowledged by the UN Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation in its 2024 report,” said the Ministry in a statement here.

As per the UNIGME 2024 report, India also achieved a 78% decline in the Under-Five Mortality Rate surpassing the global reduction of 61% and 70% decline in the Neonatal Mortality Rate compared to 54% globally during 1990–2023.

The ministry attributed the achievement to continued and sustained efforts and intensified implementation of vaccination drives and campaigns across the country.

It also cited the WUNEIC report 2023 and explained that the national coverage for Diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis (DTP) -- DTP1 and DTP3 -- ranks among the highest compared to other countries with the largest number of zero-dose children.

According to the WUENIC 2023, India, with a high population size and socio-geographical diversity, National DTP-1 (Penta-1) has a coverage of 93 per cent, which is 2.47 crore out of 2.65 crore infants have been vaccinated, even though during the equivalent period, which is significantly higher than Nigeria’s 70 per cent.

“There is a commensurate decrease in dropout percentage from DTP-1 to DTP-3, from 7 per cent in 2013 to 2 per cent in 2023, and an increase in coverage of Measles from 83 per cent in 2013 to 93 per cent in 2023,” it said.

The Ministry said that India’s unwavering commitment to immunisation is evident in its elimination of polio in 2014 and maternal and neonatal tetanus in 2015, and the roll-out of the measles-rubella campaign in 2025.

These achievements have positioned India as a global exemplar in child health, as acknowledged by the UNIGME. “India has been bestowed with the prestigious Measles and Rubella Champion Award by The Measles and Rubella Partnership (American Red Cross, BMGF, GAVI, US CDC, UNF, UNICEF, and WHO) at the American Red Cross Headquarters in Washington, DC, USA on March 6th, 2024, for its committed endeavours,” said the ministry.

The effect of the increased number of lifesaving vaccines in reducing mortality and morbidity in children due to diarrhea, pneumonia, meningitis & encephalitis is also clearly observable.

To substantiate its claim it said, “as per the latest SRS (2020-22), the Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) of India has declined from 130/lakh live births in 2014-16 to 88/lakh live births in 2020-22.“

In addition to focused attention on increasing vaccination coverage, India's Universal Immunisation Programme (UIP) embodies a comprehensive range of vaccines recommended by the World Health Organisation (WHO).

Till 2013, there were only six available vaccines in the program. From 2014, six new vaccines (namely Inactivated Poliovirus Vaccine, Rotavirus Vaccine (RVV), Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine (PCV), Measles-Rubella Vaccine, Adult Japanese Encephalitis Vaccine and Tetanus-Diphtheria Vaccine) have been introduced in the programme. Currently, India's UIP covers 12 vaccine-preventable diseases and has seen significant expansion, said the Ministry.