Though India has now become a polio-free nation, the authorities want to ensure that sustained efforts to vaccinate children below five years against polio continue. The Pulse Polio drive will be held on Sunday and again on February 23.
To create awareness among the citizens about the drive, a jatha led by Mayor B.S. Sathyanarayana was taken out on Friday.
Other mediums such as banners, posters, pamphlets, hoardings have been used to create awareness, besides advertisements on television and radio.
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According to a press release, around 10.76 lakh children below the age of five years have been identified for the polio drive in all the 198 wards.
The drive will be taken up BBMP’s referral hospitals, maternity hospitals, family welfare centres in the city, anganwadis, pharmacies, health centres, malls, railway and bus stations, Cubbon Park, Lalbagh, community halls and schools.
To cover all the identified children, 2,768 booths have been set up. There will be as many as 466 stationary teams and 395 mobile teams.
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Over 12,794 vaccination workers will be involved in the drive, which will be overseen by 640 officials deputed at the booth levels.
To ensure the success of the drive, volunteers from service organisations such as Rotary and Lions, self-help groups and non-governmental organisations have been urged to join hands with the BBMP officials and elected representatives.