The Coimbatore district has achieved a total coverage of 98.36 per cent during the second phase of the pulse polio programme on Sunday.
According to Deputy Director of Health Services R. Damodharan, of the targeted 3,31,450 children in the age group of 0 to 5 years, oral polio vaccine was administered to 3,26,001 children.
Giving a break-up, he said that 1,84,950 children in rural areas and 1,41,051 children in urban areas (Mettupalayam, Pollachi and Corporation areas) took part in the campaign.
“More than 7,500 children of temporary residents, mostly north Indians, who had taken the vaccine drops in first phase have gone back to their native States to attend temple festivals,” he added.
The primary health centres (PHC) that achieved cent per cent coverage this time are: Sircarsamakulam PHC – 104.36 per cent, Negamam PHC – 101.79 per cent, Karamadai PHC – 101.62 per cent, Vagarayampalayam PHC – 101.57 per cent, Zamin Puravipalayam PHC – 101.34 per cent and Valparai PHC – 100.99 per cent besides the Pollachi Municipality which had achieved 104.20 per cent.
“The unique feature was that Valparai PHC had achieved cent per cent despite the terrain being hilly and difficult,” said Dr. Damodharan.
Corporation limits
The Coimbatore Corporation on Sunday administered oral polio vaccines to 99.30 per cent of the 1,25,702 children below five years of age. According to a Corporation release, the Corporation established 196 booths, sent five mobile teams and also had six transit booths to administer the drops to 1,24,834 children and they included children in transit and those of migrant workers.
The release said that Monday onwards the Corporation would conduct a door-to-door campaign to ensure that all the 1,25,702 children had indeed been given the oral polio vaccines.
Our Tirupur
Staff Reporter adds:
As many as 2,16,208 children were administered pulse polio drops.Deputy Director of Public Health and Preventive Medicine N. Ragupathy told The Hindu that vaccination was given through 1,068 static booths and 44 mobile teams set up across the 13 blocks in the district.
Health department sources added that the children left out in the campaign on Sunday would be administered the vaccine over the next few days through door-to-door campaign.
First leg
“During the first leg of the campaign held in January, the coverage was 100 per cent in the district,” Dr. Ragupathy said.
The health officials said that since the last case of poliomyelitis got reported at Nambiampalayam under Avinashi taluk in 1998, which was in the then Coimbatore district, there were no cases in Tirupur district till now.
