The union health ministry has launched the innovative and ambitious initiative of National Teeka Express to protect children from life-threatening childhood diseases.

The ministry's initiative is aimed to fill the gaps in the implementation of Alternate Vaccine Delivery in difficult areas with low access to healthcare services. It was noticed by the government many a time that auxiliary nurses and midwives (ANMs) have to collect the vaccines on the day preceding the immunization day, which may compromise the cold chain maintenance and possible loss of potency of vaccine. Improper storage could also lead to adverse events following immunization.

Under this programme, designated vehicles under the brand name of ‘National Teeka Express’ will help not only in distribution of the vaccines and complementary logistics from last cold chain point to immunization session sites but will also ensure holding of sessions at the mobile vaccination centre now. In order to reduce vaccine wastage and ensure better utilization of vaccines, including costly vaccines like pentavalent vaccine, ‘Teeka Express’ will be used with reverse cold chain to bring back the open and un-used vaccines for use in subsequent sessions.

The Teeka Express will also serve as a mobile healthcare delivery unit for the areas where there is no healthcare facility or health worker. After the immunization outreach session, Teeka Express will collect immunization related bio-medical waste for safe disposal at vaccine storage points. Teeka Express will also collect the coverage and immunization performance reports of the session for compilation and preparation of report at PHC.

Teeka Express is planned to be piloted in 69 high priority districts with difficult areas and low immunization coverage. For these districts, 1,850 vehicles are planned to be procured with government assistance. In the first phase, the 120 vehicles of ‘Teeka Express’ are planned in six districts of five states namely Rajasthan – Alwar (64 vehicles); Uttar Pradesh – Sharaswati (11 vehicles); Haryana – Mewat (nine); Jammu and Kashmir - Doda (eight) and Poonch (10) and Madhya Pradesh – Tikamgarh (18).

It may be mentioned that under routine immunization programme, ANMs collect vaccines from storage point (cold chain point) and transport them to session sites, i.e. either sub-centre or Anganwari centre for carrying out vaccination. From 2005-06, the health ministry is providing support for distribution of vaccine from last storage point to outreach immunization session sites at sub-centres/Anganwaris, known as Alternate Vaccine Delivery (AVD) under NRHM. A total of Rs. 79.3 crores was allocated to the states as support for Alternate Vaccine Delivery in 2012-13.