Prime Minister Narendra Modi has launched the Intensified Mission Indradhanush (IMI) which aims to protect every child from vaccine-preventable disease. This programme will reach out to each and every child under two years of age and all those pregnant women who have been left uncovered under the routine immunisation programme.

Mission Indradhanush, launched earlier had a target of achieving at least 90% coverage by 2020. However, Intensified Mission Indradhanush aims to achieve this target by December 2018.

The PM launched this new mission at Vadnagar, Gujarat. Speaking at a function attended by the Chief Minister Shri Vijaybhai Rupani, other dignitaries and a packed audience  Shri Narendra Modi stated that the Government has made immunization a people's and a social movement. He made a strong appeal to all countrymen and women to support the programme which under which efforts are made to reduce maternal and child mortality.

Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare Shri J P Nadda in his speech appreciated the government’s unwavering support and its dedication towards improving the health status of the children of the country. He informed that the four phases of Mission Indradhanush have reached to more than 2.53 crore children and 68 lakh pregnant women with life-saving vaccines including 5.21 lakh children & 1.27 lakh pregnant women in Gujarat. Through this mission, we have accelerated our progress towards our target of 90% full immunization coverage, he stated.

Under IMI, four consecutive immunization rounds will be conducted for 7 days in 173 districts -- 121 districts and 17 cities in 16 states and 52 districts in 8 northeastern states -- every month between October 2017 and January 2018.

Based on the data provided by national surveys, Health Management Information System data and World Health Organization, IMI will identify and cover low performing areas in the selected districts and urban areas