"Study finds hexavalent vaccine could strengthen India's childhood immunisation programme"
Hexavalent vaccine
a six-in-one combination vaccine protecting against diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, Hepatitis B, Hib, and polio
Pentavalent vaccine
a five-in-one combination vaccine covering diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, Hepatitis B, and Hib
India's Universal Immunisation Programme (UIP) is one of the largest public health programmes in the world, vaccinating approximately 26 million infants annually. Operationalised through the National Health Mission (NHM), the UIP is delivered via a tiered infrastructure of sub-centres, Primary Health Centres (PHCs), and Community Health Centres (CHCs). The programme currently protects children against a range of vaccine-preventable diseases — diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, hepatitis B, Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib), and polio — but does so through multiple separate or partially combined injections administered across scheduled visits.
The National Health Policy 2017 marked a decisive shift toward preventive and promotive healthcare, emphasising equity and efficiency in delivery. Successive policy cycles have expanded the UIP's vaccine basket, and combination vaccines have been progressively introduced to reduce the injection burden on infants and the logistical burden on the health system. The pentavalent vaccine — protecting against five diseases — was a major step in this direction and is currently the backbone of India's primary immunisation schedule. The hexavalent vaccine represents the next logical evolution, adding inactivated polio vaccine (IPV) protection to the existing pentavalent formulation.
A hexavalent (six-in-one) vaccine is a combination vaccine that protects infants against six diseases in a single injection: diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis (whooping cough), Hepatitis B, Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib), and polio. By consolidating what would otherwise require multiple separate injections, combination vaccines reduce the total number of injections a child receives during the primary immunisation schedule — a factor that directly affects caregiver compliance, infant distress, and healthcare worker workload.
From a health-systems perspective, combination vaccines offer three distinct efficiency gains. First, they reduce cold-chain requirements: fewer vaccine vials mean less refrigerated storage space, fewer cold-chain logistics trips, and lower wastage — a critical consideration in India's geographically diverse and often infrastructure-constrained settings. Second, they reduce healthcare worker time per immunisation visit, freeing frontline workers (ASHAs, ANMs) for other preventive and promotive tasks. …
In the context of vaccines manufactured to prevent COVID-19 pandemic, consider the following statements:
1.The Serum Institute of India produced COVID-19 vaccine named Covishield using mRNA platform.
2.Sputnik V vaccine is manufactured using vector based platform.
3.COVAXIN is an inactivated pathogen based vaccine.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
With reference to recent developments regarding 'Recombinant Vector Vaccines', consider the following statements:
1.Genetic engineering is applied in the development of these vaccines.
2.Bacteria and viruses are used as vectors.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
With reference to the 'Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan', consider the following statements:
1.This scheme guarantees a minimum package of antenatal care services to women in their second and third trimesters of pregnancy and six months post-delivery health care service in any government health facility.
2.Under this scheme, private sector health care providers of certain specialities can volunteer to provide services at nearby government health facilities.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
With reference to the hexavalent vaccine, consider the following statements:
1.It protects infants against six diseases including diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, Hepatitis B, Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib), and polio.
2.It differs from the pentavalent vaccine primarily by adding inactivated polio vaccine (IPV) protection.
3.Its introduction into India's UIP would eliminate the need for all booster doses.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Which of the following correctly identifies the key finding of the study on hexavalent vaccine introduction into India's Universal Immunisation Programme?
Consider the following statements about India's Universal Immunisation Programme (UIP):
1.It is operationalised through the National Health Mission (NHM).
2.It currently vaccinates approximately 26 million infants annually.
3.It is delivered exclusively through district hospitals and medical colleges.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Assertion (A): Combination vaccines such as the hexavalent vaccine reduce cold-chain requirements compared to administering the same antigens as separate vaccines.
Reason (R): Fewer vaccine vials mean less refrigerated storage volume and fewer cold-chain logistics trips are needed.
Select the correct answer:
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