Zero-Dose Children:
India ranked second after Nigeria in the number of unvaccinated or “zero-dose” children in 2023, according to a new Lancet study based on Global Burden of Disease data. The term “zero-dose children” refers to children who did not receive even a single dose of any routine childhood vaccination.
In 2023, 1.44 million Indian children fell into this category.India is second globally (after Nigeria’s 2.5 million) in total number of zero-dose children. These unvaccinated children are primarily located in eight countries, which collectively host over 50% of the global burden. The Universal Immunisation Programme (UIP) in India covers 12 diseases, yet implementation gaps persist.
