As many as 67.26 lakh children were covered under the second round of the pulse polio campaign conducted throughout the State on Sunday. In Greater Chennai Corporation, 93.75% of children were covered, with 6,56,937 being immunised against a target of 7,00,738 children.
The immunisation drive was conducted from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. in designated booths.
A total of 71 lakh children in the age group of five years and below should be immunised, according to the Directorate of Public Health. In the first round held on April 2, all such children were given two drops of oral polio vaccine.
The State government had established 43,051 booths in all primary health centres, government hospitals, ICDS centres, noon meal centres and schools and 1,652 transit booths. A total of 1,000 mobile teams had also been formed.
Director of Public Health K. Kolandaisamy said beginning Monday, for two days, mobile vaccine teams would visit every household to cover children who had been left out. Teams would be deployed to remote areas. Besides this vaccine would be administered in major bus stands, railway stations, airports and toll plazas.
Those who have not immunised their children could approach PHCs for the vaccine, he added. All vaccinated children are marked with ink on their finger to enable teams identify those who have been missed out. The State was declared polio-free 13 years ago.
About two lakh personnel from Health, Integrated Child Development Service, Education and other Government departments besides volunteers participated in the campaign.
