The Uttar Pradesh government’s consistent efforts to strengthen regular immunisation in urban areas have yielded remarkable results.

To accelerate the vaccination drive, the government introduced a seven-day-a-week immunisation facility at health centres in January 2023.

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This initiative has significantly boosted immunisation coverage in urban areas, increasing the vaccination rate from 72.4% to an impressive 95% over the past two years. The steady rise reflects the state’s commitment to ensuring better healthcare accessibility and protection against preventable diseases.

According to Principal Secretary of Health and Medical Education, Parth Sarthi Sen Sharma, the seven-day vaccination initiative in urban areas aligns with Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s vision of ensuring that every child receives protection against 12 life-threatening diseases. This effort has helped bridge immunisation gaps by removing accessibility barriers and prioritising underserved communities.

State Immunisation Officer Dr. Ajay Gupta shared on Saturday that from January 2023 to February 2025, around 18 lakh children in urban areas have been vaccinated.

Dr. Gupta also noted that previous National Family Health Surveys (NFHS-4 and NFHS-5) showed that full immunisation coverage in urban areas was growing at a slower pace compared to rural regions. Special immunisation campaigns were launched at urban health centres to address this, ensuring vaccinations were available every day of the week.

This move has particularly benefited working families and daily wage earners who previously struggled to get their children vaccinated during work hours. Among urban districts, Gorakhpur has achieved the highest immunisation coverage.

Dr. Geetanjali Singh, Medical Officer in charge of the Urban Ayushman Arogya Mandir in Chhitwapur, Lucknow, highlighted the benefits of the daily vaccination service. Previously, vaccinations were only available on Wednesdays and Saturdays, with each area receiving a session just once a month. This led to long waiting times for beneficiaries.

Now, with vaccinations available every day, parents no longer have to wait, and Sunday sessions have made it especially convenient for working parents.

She mentioned that now antenatal check-ups have become more accessible. A major shift observed is that more people are opting for vaccinations at government health centres instead of private hospitals.

The immunisation programme safeguards children against tuberculosis (TB), polio, whooping cough, diphtheria, measles, hepatitis, tetanus, pneumonia, viral diarrhoea, meningitis, and rubella.