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India vaccinated 97% of children in 2025, said a World Health Organisation-Unicef report released on July 15. 

But according to the sixth round of the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-6) , the full childhood immunisation rate in the country is between 82.6 and 87.1%, depending on which of the two vaccination indicators are chosen. The NFHS-6 report was released last month. 

The figures presented by WHO and Unicef are not based on primary data collection, as has always been the case. The source of this data is what the government of India has provided to them for the year 2025. This is known as ‘administrative data’. 

The government collects pan-India ‘administrative’ immunisation data through what the state immunisation officers feed into the system. The immunisation programme is fully run by the government of India. 

But apart from this method, there is another survey conducted by the government, which is independent of what the state programme officers report. The NFHS-6, which pegged that less than 90% of children were covered by the vaccination programme, was conducted for 2023-24 time period. 

​​Health economist, Indranil, who also teaches at OP Jindal university said the NFHS is considered more reliable because it is a survey conducted on the ground, indicating that it would therefore be primary data. 

“On the other hand, the government immunisation coverage data [‘administrative data’] is on the basis of reporting by field workers and officials in monthly progress reports. These numbers are not corroborated with field reality. These government numbers feed the WHO-Unicef report. So the Unicef numbers are what the government is reporting, while the NFHS number represents field reality........

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