A total of 89,000 children in the 0-5 age group were administered polio drops in the Union Territory, with 95.65 per cent coverage in Puducherry and 101.98 per cent coverage in Karaikal.
The target in Puducherry was 70,651 and the drops were given to 67,579 children, while in Karaikal 15,666 were administered the vaccine, against a target of 15,362.
In Mahe and Yanam, the coverage was slightly below target. In Mahe, 2,027 children received the drops against a target of 2,437 and in Yanam, 3,728 children were administered the vaccine against a target of 4,442.
In order to ensure that all children were immunised, the Health Department will be conducting a door-to-door visits with two teams from every Primary Health Centre visiting the houses in their respective areas.
The teams will be visiting both government and private schools to identify and immunise unreached eligible children, Director of Health, K.V. Raman said. The last case of polio was reported in Puducherry in 1998.
Our Special Correspondent from Cuddalore adds: As many as 4,014 special camps were organised in Cuddalore and Villupuram districts and these camps were handled by 17,000 staff to reach out to over 5.74 lakh children.
To take care of the migrant population and those children in transit mobile teams were deployed to administer the vaccine. .
While Commercial Taxes Minister M.C. Sampath inaugurated the programme at Vriddhachalam municipal office premises in the presence of Cuddalore Collector S. Suresh Kumar, Rural Industries Minister P. Mohan did so at the Kachirayapalayam Primary Health Centre in Chinna Salem block and at the Kallakurichi Government Hospital in the presence of Villupuram Collector V. Sampath.
The second round of immunisation would take place on February 22.
