The State government has targeted to cover nearly 52.14 lakh children for polio vaccination under the National Immunization Day (NID) on Sunday and it has readied 66.67 lakh doses of Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV) for the purpose.
A total number of 1,46,496 vaccinators have been deputed to administer the vaccine to children aged between 0 and 5. The focus is on children of fishermen and tribal communities, construction workers and their families, workers in brick kilns and beggars and nomads who are vulnerable to the crippling disease. And children in transit have been given due priority. The government has released Rs 5.60 crore for the districts to conduct the programme, according to an official release.
Pulse polio immunisation and surveillance of Acute Flaccid Paralysis are the two main strategies aimed at eradicating polio, the initiative for which was started way back in 1995.
The second round of NID is scheduled to be conducted on February 22. The first and second rounds of NID will be followed by house-to-house visits on January 19 and 20 and February 23 and 24 respectively. Intensification of the routine immunisation was stressed for keeping up India’s distinction as polio-free.
