Public Health Campaigns: Smallpox and Polio Eradication in India (1948–2014)

1. India begins planned post-independence immunization expansion

   Jan 1, 1948Labels: India Ministry, Post-independence Public

   • WHO India
   • PubMed EPI

2. National Smallpox Eradication Programme launched in India

   Jan 1, 1962Labels: National Smallpox, Smallpox Vaccine

   • PubMed Rajasthan
   • AJPH Review

3. Intensified all-India smallpox campaign shifts to surveillance-containment

   Jul 1, 1973Labels: Surveillance-containment Strategy, Ring Vaccination

   • PubMed Rajasthan
   • AJPH Review

4. Smallpox case counts spike as detection improves

   Jan 1, 1974Labels: Smallpox Surveillance

   • AJPH Review

5. India’s last endemic smallpox case occurs in Bihar

   May 1, 1975Labels: Bihar, Last Endemic

   • ScienceDirect EPH
   • AJPH Review

6. WHO commission certifies India smallpox-free

   Apr 23, 1977Labels: WHO Certification, Smallpox Free

   • India Today
   • WHO IRIS

7. Expanded Programme on Immunization begins in India

   Jan 1, 1978Labels: Expanded Programme, EPI

   • PubMed EPI

8. Universal Immunization Programme accelerates childhood vaccination

   Jan 1, 1985Labels: Universal Immunization, UIP

   • PubMed EPI
   • UIP Review

9. Pulse Polio national immunization days begin

   Dec 9, 1995Labels: Pulse Polio, National Immunization

   • CDC MMWR 1995
   • CDC MMWR 1998

10. National Polio Surveillance Project established with WHO

    Oct 1, 1997Labels: National Polio, WHO NPSP

    • WHO SEARO Report
    • CDC MMWR 1998

11. Mass campaigns scale up as polio persists in India

    Feb 5, 2003Labels: Supplemental Immunization, Mass Campaigns

    • WHO News 2003

12. Last wild poliovirus case in India is recorded

    Jan 13, 2011Labels: Last Wild, West Bengal

    • WHO SEARO 2019
    • WHO India 2021

13. WHO South-East Asia Region certified polio-free

    Mar 27, 2014Labels: WHO South-East, Polio-free Certification

    • CDC MMWR 2014
    • WHO SEARO 2019