Press Information Bureau

Government of India

Ministry of Finance

16-March-2012 13:46 IST

Government to Achieve Vaccine Security

To keep the pressure up on disease eradication and prevention, the government plans to set up new vaccine units in the country and modernize the existing ones. Announcing this while presenting Union Budget 2012-13, the Finance Minister ShriPranab Mukherjee proposed to set up a new integrated vaccine unit near Chennai. Buoyed by no polio case in the last one year, the Finance Minister Shri Mukherjee was emphatic that the government will achieve vaccine security. The Finance Minister Shri Mukherjee enlarged the scope of Accredited Social Health Activist’s (ASHA) activities to include prevention of Iodine Deficiency Disorders, ensure 100 percent immunisation and better spacing of children. The Finance Minister Shri Mukherjee said that PradhanMantriSwasthyaSurakshaYojana is being expanded to cover upgradation of seven more Government Medical Colleges.

DSM/VK/AKA-58

Vaccine security: establish integrated vaccine unit, modernize facilities, expand ASHA roles and medical college upgrades. Government policy to secure vaccine availability by establishing an integrated vaccine unit near Chennai and modernizing existing vaccine facilities to sustain disease eradication and prevention efforts. ASHA responsibilities are expanded to include prevention of Iodine Deficiency Disorders, ensuring universal immunisation and promoting child spacing. The PradhanMantriSwasthyaSurakshaYojana is extended to support upgradation of additional government medical colleges to strengthen immunisation delivery and health infrastructure.