Health and Me

Rachel V Thomas

India’s U-WIN Platform Tackling Zero Dose Burden: NTAGI Member| Exclusive

The U-WIN (Universal <span>Immunization</span> Win) platform has been transformative and has helped India tackle the concerning burden of zero-dose children, said Dr NK Arora, an immunization expert and member of the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation in India (<span>NTAGI</span>).

In an exclusive conversation with HealthandMe during <span>World Immunization Week 2026</span>, Dr Arora, Executive Director of The INCLEN Trust International, traced the journey of the U-WIN portal and explained how it has strengthened vaccine uptake in the country.

U-WIN is a digital platform and app to help people find vaccination centers near their residences, manage vaccination appointments at health facilities, and maintain vaccination records. 

Dr Arora noted that the U-WIN portal created a digital ecosystem that played a critical role in registration, appointment scheduling, vaccine tracking, and real-time monitoring. 

U-Win was launched in October 2024 and is available in 12 languages, including English.

Dr Arora, also the chair of the <span>COVID-19</span> and <span>HPV</span> vaccine working group, shared that during the deadly COVID pandemic in 2020—around July—it became very clear that to vaccinate 140 crore people, some kind of IT platform is needed that will track individuals who had been vaccinated, especially when they needed their second dose, and later, booster doses. 

“Everything started somewhere around July 2020, and by January 2021, we had the Co-WIN platform. By mid-April, things were streamlined. The platform gives us a long list of individuals who have been vaccinated. It also helps to know who has been left out of the vaccination. 

“It is like a registry of human beings who are getting immunized. And we could send reminders, we could send certificates, and we can also tell the individual when to get their second and third dose,” the expert said.

He noted that as COVID became less intense toward the end of 2021, serious discussions began on using the same platform for routine immunization. This is where the concept of U-WIN came in 2022. It has now been piloted and is gradually being used. 

<h2>U-WIN: Closing the Gap For Missed and Zero-Dose Children </h2>

From U-WIN Success To India's Dengue Vaccine, Immunization Expert Shares Roadmap

The UWIN now has the mechanism to ensure that immunization is completed for everyone who registers. One user can register up to 10 people in one mobile number, including citizens/guardians, pregnant women, infants (0-1 years), children (1-7 years), and adolescents (7-19 years).

“The key issue is that tracking provides two or three important inputs. First, it ensures that everyone is getting vaccinated and that it is not dependent on memory. There is a proper record—whether a person or child has received vaccines and what their current status is, including whether the schedule is complete,” Dr Arora said.

“Second, one of the main reasons for missing or delaying the next dose was that mothers often did not remember. Fathers contributed very little to this process, but they also became involved because of the reminder system,” he added. 

Another important role of U-WIN is tackling the so-called zero-dose children—those who have never been vaccinated. 

“About 4–5 per cent of our eligible population falls into this category, meaning they have not received even the first pentavalent dose. On the face of it, 4–5 per cent may not seem like a huge problem. But when we look at the absolute numbers—out of 26 million—it translates into a very large number, which we cannot afford to miss. So tracking helps identify these children through the micro-plan system”. 

<h2>U-WIN Enables Life-course Immunization</h2>

<strong>Also read: </strong><a href="https://www.healthandme.com/health-wellness/world-immunization-week-vaccines-are-like-insurance-theyre-safetake-them-says-dr-nk-arora-exclusive-article-154180353" data-type="tilCustomLink">World Immunization Week: Vaccines Are Like Insurance, They’re Safe—Take Them, Says Dr NK Arora</a>

“When a child is vaccinated, we know when boosters are due—at one and a half years, then at five years. But none of us remembers this. Even among well-informed parents, this is often forgotten. This system helps address that gap,” Dr. Arora said.

Further, when the same individual becomes eligible for vaccines like HPV—typically between 9 and 14 years—there is again a gap that needs to be addressed.

Certification is another benefit, as it creates a documented process, particularly for programs like oral polio vaccination. 

Dr. Arora highlighted that in case of any future pandemic-like situation that requires repeated vaccinations, “we have a mechanism in place”.

“This IT platform has truly transformed the system. There is also a lot of discussion about using similar platforms for TB patients, pregnant women, and other flagship programs like non-communicable diseases. So, for India, digitalisation is at its best when we talk about U-WIN.”

Health Conditions A-Z

health

U WIN

World Immunization Week 2026

Zero Dose Children

Missed vaccination

Dr N K Arora

NTAGI

Immunization

Co WIN

COVID-19

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The U-WIN (Universal Immunization Win) platform has been transformative and has helped India tackle the concerning burden of zero-dose children, said Dr NK Arora, an immunization expert and member of the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation in India (NTAGI). In an exclusive conversation with HealthandMe during World Immunization Week 2026, Dr Arora, Executive Director of The INCLEN Trust International, traced the journey of the U-WIN portal and explained how it has strengthened vaccine uptake in the country. U-WIN is a digital platform and app to help people find vaccination centers near their residences, manage vaccination appointments at health facilities, and maintain vaccination records. Dr Arora noted that the U-WIN portal created a digital ecosystem that played a critical role in registration, appointment scheduling, vaccine tracking, and real-time monitoring. The Origin Of U-WIN U-Win was launched in October 2024 and is available in 12 languages, including English.Dr Arora, also the chair of the COVID-19 and HPV vaccine working group, shared that during the deadly COVID pandemic in 2020—around July—it became very clear that to vaccinate 140 crore people, some kind of IT platform is needed that will track individuals who had been vaccinated, especially when they needed their second dose, and later, booster doses. “Everything started somewhere around July 2020, and by January 2021, we had the Co-WIN platform. By mid-April, things were streamlined. The platform gives us a long list of individuals who have been vaccinated. It also helps to know who has been left out of the vaccination. “It is like a registry of human beings who are getting immunized. And we could send reminders, we could send certificates, and we can also tell the individual when to get their second and third dose,” the expert said. He noted that as COVID became less intense toward the end of 2021, serious discussions began on using the same platform for routine immunization. This is where the concept of U-WIN came in 2022. It has now been piloted and is gradually being used.  U-WIN: Closing the Gap For Missed and Zero-Dose Children          The UWIN now has the mechanism to ensure that immunization is completed for everyone who registers. One user can register up to 10 people in one mobile number, including citizens/guardians, pregnant women, infants (0-1 years), children (1-7 years), and adolescents (7-19 years). “The key issue is that tracking provides two or three important inputs. First, it ensures that everyone is getting vaccinated and that it is not dependent on memory. There is a proper record—whether a person or child has received vaccines and what their current status is, including whether the schedule is complete,” Dr Arora said. “Second, one of the main reasons for missing or delaying the next dose was that mothers often did not remember. Fathers contributed very little to this process, but they also became involved because of the reminder system,” he added. Another important role of U-WIN is tackling the so-called zero-dose children—those who have never been vaccinated. “About 4–5 per cent of our eligible population falls into this category, meaning they have not received even the first pentavalent dose. On the face of it, 4–5 per cent may not seem like a huge problem. But when we look at the absolute numbers—out of 26 million—it translates into a very large number, which we cannot afford to miss. So tracking helps identify these children through the micro-plan system”. U-WIN Enables Life-course ImmunizationAlso read: World Immunization Week: Vaccines Are Like Insurance, They’re Safe—Take Them, Says Dr NK Arora“When a child is vaccinated, we know when boosters are due—at one and a half years, then at five years. But none of us remembers this. Even among well-informed parents, this is often forgotten. This system helps address that gap,” Dr. Arora said. Further, when the same individual becomes eligible for vaccines like HPV—typically between 9 and 14 years—there is again a gap that needs to be addressed. Certification is another benefit, as it creates a documented process, particularly for programs like oral polio vaccination. Dr. Arora highlighted that in case of any future pandemic-like situation that requires repeated vaccinations, “we have a mechanism in place”. “This IT platform has truly transformed the system. There is also a lot of discussion about using similar platforms for TB patients, pregnant women, and other flagship programs like non-communicable diseases. So, for India, digitalisation is at its best when we talk about U-WIN.”