The first 18 months since her daughter, Drea's birth, Kandivli resident Mansi Sheth would dread the paediatrician visits to Princess Street in Marine Lines. It wasn't the distance that was daunting but the mention of expensive vaccines. The recommendation would often be followed by the six words that seal the deal for most parents: It's what's best for your baby. "He was a good doctor," Sheth says, "But subconsciously, he made us question our reluctance to use optional vaccines that are not on the national programme. Some others, like pneumococcal conjugate vaccine cost us R8,000 at the time of Drea's birth."

The national programme or the Universal Immunisation Programme is a Ministry of Health and Family Welfare initiative that provides important vaccines to infants, children and pregnant women. Vaccinations against life-threatening diseases have been one of the greatest public health achievements. Millions of child deaths have been prevented, and several others have been saved from illness that could leave one disfigured for life. However, factors like misinformation, fear and costs often keep some parents from getting their child vaccinated.