Study Suggests Hexavalent Vaccine Could Boost Immunization Efficiency

A study by the Union Health Ministry and partners indicates that introducing the hexavalent vaccine into the Universal Immunisation Programme could reduce injection counts for 26 million Indian infants annually.

The six-in-one vaccine protects against diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, Hepatitis B, Hib, and polio, potentially easing the workload for frontline health workers and lowering cold-chain logistics requirements.

Researchers estimate that a 50% reduction in vaccine procurement costs would allow system-level savings to outweigh the higher upfront acquisition price of the hexavalent doses.