INTRODUCTION The Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI) aims to reduce morbidity and mortality from six vaccine-preventable diseases: tuberculosis, diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, measles, and poliomyelitis. A fully-immunized child (FIC) receives six standard EPI antigens through eight vaccinations given in the first year of life. The recommended schedule is: one shot of Bacille Calmette Guerin (BCG) at birth, three doses of oral polio vaccine (OPV) together with three shots of diphtheriapertussis-tetanus (DPT) at age 6, 10, and 14 weeks, and one shot of measles vaccine at age 9 months. Along with these six antigens, the routine EPI also included two doses of tetanus toxoid (TT) for pregnant women and one dose of vitamin A for children at the time of the study. The main EPI programme (the routine EPI) is supplemented by other interventions, such as National Immunization Day (NID), mop-up after NID, acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) surveillance, and maternal and neonatal tetanus (MNT) surveillance.
