Celebrating the Power of Vaccines

• Universal Immunisation Programme (UIP) is among the world's largest public-health programmes, delivering free vaccines to ~2.9 crore pregnant women and ~2.54 crore infants annually.
• India has eradicated smallpox, polio, and maternal & neonatal tetanus (MNT) through vaccination and continues expanding the basket (HPV, indigenous Td).
• Relevant for UPSC under GS-II (health policy, vulnerable groups) and GS-III (Sci-Tech, indigenous vaccine R&D).