The Health Ministry has declared 2012 as the year of intensification of routine immunization in children against various diseases.

The objective of the initiative is to enhance immunization coverage and bringing all the children under its ambit particularly in remote and backward areas as well as in urban slums.

According to an official release, at present only 61 per cent of the children are covered under the immunization program.

The strategies which are being adopted by the Healh Ministry include updating of Micro plans to cover all villages and hamlets, intensification of immunization activity by observing immunization weeks in low performing states and special focus on migrant and mobile populations.

Besides this, high priority will be given to 200 worst performing districts across the country.

The government has already put in place a web enabled tracking system having a database of over one crore children to track every child for assured delivery of immunization services.

Parents are being sent SMS alerts before the due date of vaccination and health workers are also now receiving the list of children due for vaccination through SMS.