SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir has achieved 100 per cent Full Immunisation Coverage (FIC) under the Universal Immunisation Programme (UIP) during the financial year 2025-26, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare informed the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday.
Replying to an unstarred question by Rajya Sabha member Sat Paul Sharma, Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Anupriya Patel said the Union Territory has recorded full immunisation coverage across the UT, with most districts reporting 100 per cent coverage.
According to the district-wise data, all districts except Budgam (99.9 per cent), Jammu (96.6 per cent), Kathua (98.7 per cent) and Pulwama (97.1 per cent) achieved 100 per cent Full Immunisation Coverage during 2025-26.
The Ministry also highlighted the achievements of the Intensified Mission Indradhanush (IMI), under which zero-dose and dropout children were identified using Mother and Child Protection (MCP) cards and Reproductive and Child Health (RCH) registers. Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) carried out house-to-house surveys for beneficiary tracking, mobilisation and vaccination.
The Centre said a comprehensive headcount survey identified 23,630 children in the 0-2 years age group and 8,482 children aged between two and five years. During IMI 5.0, a total of 2,408 zero-dose children received vaccines for the first time, including 1,402 infants below one year, 470 children aged between one and two years, and 536 children in the two-to-five-year age group.
The Ministry further said community awareness campaigns supported by inter-sectoral coordination improved vaccine acceptance, while special outreach sessions in remote and difficult areas ensured eligible children received routine immunisation.
To overcome vaccine hesitancy and geographical challenges, particularly among nomadic Gujjar and Bakarwal communities, the government has engaged 336 Tribal ASHAs under the Universal Immunisation Programme. These workers help identify beneficiaries, mobilise communities, provide counselling and track children and pregnant women during seasonal migration.
The Ministry said the Tribal ASHAs’ familiarity with local languages, culture and migration routes has helped improve immunisation acceptance in remote areas. Their efforts are supported by special outreach vaccination sessions, updated micro-plans covering migratory routes and seasonal settlements, and inter-sectoral coordination to ensure no eligible beneficiary is left out due to migration or geographical barriers.
