The second phase of the Intensified Pulse Polio Immunisation drive held on Sunday achieved 96.8 % coverage in Coimbatore district with 3,13,967 children in the 0-5 years age group being administered the oral polio vaccine.
Health Department had targeted 3,24,491 children in the age category in the mass drive in Coimbatore district.
“While rural areas achieved 96.5 % coverage, immunisation centres in urban parts achieved 96.9 % coverage,” said Deputy Director of Health Services P.G. Bhanumathi.
During phase-I of the drive held on April 2, the district had achieved 96 % coverage by immunising 3,09,643 children. The vaccination was given at 1,581 booths - 1,182 are in Coimbatore rural and 339 located in urban areas. Apart from the 1,581 booths, vaccination was given at 34 transit booths at public places and 24 mobile booths.
Coimbatore limits
Coimbatore Corporation on Sunday administered the oral polio vaccine to 96.9 % of the targeted children.
The Corporation was supposed to administer the vaccine to 1,62,391 children in the second phase.
A press release issued by the civic body said that it had administered the vaccine in all its urban health establishments, including maternity homes, at bus stands, railway stations and through mobile vaccination centres.
The release added that the Corporation also administered the vaccine through its 129 noon meal centres.
In Tirupur, as many as 2,04,123 children out of the targeted 2,21,635 children aged below five years were administered oral vaccination against polio in the district.
Deputy Director of Public Health and Preventive Medicine K. R. Jayanthi said that the remaining children, totalling around 7.9 % of the targeted figures, would be vaccinated over the next few days through door-to-door campaigns.
A total of 1,154 booths were set up on the day to administer the vaccine which included 56 transit booths.