A recent study conducted by the Union Health Ministry in collaboration with the George Institute for Global Health India, the Gates Foundation, Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, and John Snow India Private Limited suggests that introducing the hexavalent vaccine into India’s Universal Immunisation Programme (UIP) could significantly improve the efficiency of the country’s childhood immunisation programme.
The hexavalent vaccine is a combination vaccine that protects infants against six diseases - diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis (whooping cough), Hepatitis B, Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib), and polio - in a single injection. This reduces the number of injections children need, eases the workload of frontline health workers, lowers cold-chain requirements, and saves caregivers’ time. With almost 26 million Indian babies vaccinated annually as part of the nation’s immunisation programme, the introduction of the hexavalent vaccine could have a substantial impact.
Currently, children receive multiple vaccines during immunisation visits, increasing the number of injections they receive, placing additional demands on caregivers’ time, and adding to the workload of healthcare providers. Researchers found that the price of the hexavalent vaccine is the single largest determinant of overall programme costs. However, a 50% reduction in the vaccine price would enable operational and system-level savings to outweigh the additional vaccine acquisition costs under the primary immunisation schedule.
The study assessed two implementation scenarios and found that introducing the hexavalent vaccine could deliver several benefits, including fewer injections for infants, making vaccination more convenient for children and caregivers. The findings were published in the peer-reviewed international journal Human Vaccines & Immunotherapeutics. According to Susmita Chatterjee, Program Head, Health Economics, the George Institute for Global Health India, the study demonstrates that the hexavalent vaccine generates important efficiencies by reducing injections, easing pressure on frontline health workers, lowering cold-chain requirements, and saving caregivers’ time.
These findings provide important economic evidence that can inform future policy discussions on strengthening India’s immunisation programme. Previous stakeholder research has also found that caregivers generally prefer fewer injectable vaccines during each visit, making the hexavalent vaccine a promising solution for improving the country’s childhood immunisation programme.
