Pulse polio immunisation will be held on February 19 and April 1. This is part of the national polio eradication programme in which children below five years will be given oral polio vaccine on the specified days.
Children need to be made part of the national programme even when they have been given polio vaccine as part of the baby's immunisation chart, said R. Sudhakaran, district medical officer, at a press meet. Since a case of polio was reported from Howrah, West Bengal last year, the State which has a large influx of migrant workers from West Bengal and other northern States, must take part in the immunisation programme.
The district health department has identified 2,41,068 children who need to be given the oral polio vaccine. Health workers who have been trained for the programme and 3,858 volunteers in the district would be administering the polio vaccine drops at 1,929 fixed booths and 90 mobile booths, 78 booths located in transit zones and 20 booths in the mela/bazaar sites. Anganwadis, health and family welfare centres, government hospitals, bus stops, railway stations, boat jetties and private hospitals would provide the vaccine on the specified days.
The primary health centres would provide mobile booths for making children in all areas participate in the national programme. There are 193 supervisors who would be monitoring the programme in the district.
