BHUBANESWAR: About 90.5% children in Odisha have been immunised, Unicef India said in its latest report ‘The State of the Worlds Children 2023: For Every Child, Vaccination’ on Thursday.
The report, based on data collected by The Vaccine Confidence Project (London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine), has revealed that China, India and Mexico are the only countries out of 55 where popular perception of the importance of vaccines for children held firm or improved.
More than 90 percent of children of the state are fully immunized. In Odisha, immunization coverage has been note-worthy, with 90.5 percent of children fully immunized. It is significantly higher than the national average of 76.4 percent as per national family health survey (NFHS)-5, said the summary of the report released by the Unicef India on Thursday.
Unicef said Odisha could achieve the coverage due to initiatives by the state government to immunise children in remote areas, and by encouraging community participation through Panchayati Raj institutions and self-help groups in low-coverage areas.
Challenges included the state’s hilly and forested terrain, especially in the 144 tribal blocks and among 13 particularly vulnerable tribal groups living in areas without motorable roads and in villages that become inaccessible seasonally, the report said. Odisha’s high immunization rates are recorded despite the significant challenges.
UNICEF India Representative Cynthia said the report highlights India as one of the countries with the highest vaccine confidence in the world.
The Odisha CMO tweeted, “In yet another accomplishment for #Odisha, the State has been lauded by
@UNICEF for immunising more than 90% of children, which is more than the national average of 76.4 %. Odisha’s consistent efforts to save precious lives continue to garner accolades. #OdishaCares”
