About 2.15 lakh children below the age of five will be administered pulse polio vaccine drops in the district on Sunday. The pulse vaccination drive will be the latest in a series of concerted efforts against the deadly polio virus in the country.
As many as 2,200 booths have been arranged in the district for pulse polio vaccine administration. Besides, 68 transit booths, five mela or bazaar booths, and 100 mobile booths have been set up. “We hope to reach out to the maximum number of children,” said District Medical Officer K.P. Reeta.
She said nearly 7.5 lakh houses in the district would be covered under the pulse polio drive. According to her, efforts are being made to reach out to the children through anganwadis, schools, and health centres. Special booths will be set up at bus stands, railway stations, festival venues, and other places where children tend to go. The Sunday drive will be followed up by volunteers visiting houses with vaccine on Monday and Tuesday.
Targeting all children
“We are planning to give vaccine drops to all children below five years of age. Even those who were given polio vaccine as part of the immunisation programme will be given pulse polio drops,” said T.K. Jayanthi, Reproductive and Child Health (RCH) Officer.
Dr. Reeta and Dr. Jayanthi said the desired effect of the pulse polio drive would be attained only if all children, irrespective of their immunisation status, were covered in the programme. The district-level inauguration of the programme will take place at the Government Women and Children Hospital here on Sunday morning. District panchayat president Santhakumari K. will inaugurate the programme. Palakkad municipal chairperson Prameela Sasidharan will preside. The incidence of polio was reported last in the State in Malappuram district about 20 years ago. In India, polio has not been reported since 2011.
