Apr 27, Kathmandu - The government has initiated a month-long 'Find and Vaccinate' campaign in Baisakh to target children under five who missed their scheduled vaccinations. According to the  Child Health and Immunization Service Section (CHIS), this campaign aims to include children who missed their routine immunizations over the past 15 months.

Under this campaign, children will be administered vaccines against nine different diseases using 13 types of vaccines. The government has already collected data on children who missed vaccinations in the past. According to the data, 90% of children in Nepal have received complete immunizations, while 10% have not received all vaccines. Additionally, 1% of children have not received any vaccinations so far.

According to a World Health Organization report, the effectiveness of the immunization program has significantly improved child mortality rates in Nepal. The under-five mortality rate, which was 118 per 1,000 live births in 1996, has decreased to 26.5 per 1,000 live births as of 2023.

As the number of unvaccinated children in some districts has increased, leading to a resurgence of measles and rubella outbreaks, the Ministry has prioritized this campaign. The government has urged parents to bring all children from birth to five years old to nearby health facilities for vaccination to protect them from diseases, disabilities, and premature death.