Context: The Electronic Vaccine Intelligence Network (e-VIN) has ensured essential immunization services during the COVID pandemic.

• It is being implemented under the National Health Mission (NHM) by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

Key highlights about eVIN:

• It is an innovative technological solution aimed at strengthening immunization supply chain systems across the country. 
• It has been used with the requisite customization during the COVID pandemic for ensuring the continuation of the essential immunization services and protecting our children and pregnant mothers against vaccine-preventable diseases.
• It aims to provide real-time information on vaccine stocks and flows, and storage temperatures across all cold chain points in the country. 
• It has state-of-the-art technology, a strong IT infrastructure and trained human resources to enable real-time monitoring of stock and storage temperature of the vaccines kept in multiple locations across the country.
• It has helped create a big data architecture that generates actionable analytics encouraging data-driven decision-making and consumption-based planning that helps in maintaining optimum stocks of vaccines leading to cost savings. 
• It helps in maintaining optimum stocks of vaccines leading to cost savings. Vaccine availability at all times has increased to 99% in most health centres in India.

With e-VIN, district officials can:

• View real-time stock and temperature
• Understand vaccine requirement
• Enable emergency management
• Keep track of consumption patterns
• Have efficient stock reallocation

The integrated solution combines

• Technology: Online real-time information on vaccine stocks and storage temperature to facilitate evidence-based decision-making.
• Governance: Systemizing record keeping, upgrading logistics and encouraging good practices to ensure efficient vaccine logistics management.
• Human Resources: To empower the state cold chain network by building the capacities of handlers and managers at each stage of vaccine supply.

About Universal Immunization Programme

• It was launched by the government in 1985, to prevent mortality and morbidity in children and pregnant women against 12 vaccine-preventable diseases.
• Aim and Objective- Under this program free of cost vaccination is provided against twelve vaccine-preventable diseases i.e. Tuberculosis, Diphtheria, Pertussis, Tetanus, Polio, Hepatitis B, Pneumonia, Meningitis due to Haemophilus Influenzae type b (Hib), Measles, Rubella, Japanese Encephalitis (JE) and Rotavirus diarrhoea.
• It is one of the largest health programmes in the world. Despite being operational for many years, UIP has been able to fully immunize only 65% of children under 1 year of age