This year, there will be only one round of the intensified pulse polio immunisation campaign. Till now, the immunisation campaign was held in two phases every year. K. Kolandaswamy, Director of Public Health and Preventive Medicine said this decision was taken by the national technical advisory group on immunisation. “India was declared polio-free by the World Health Organisation after three years of reporting no cases. So, the group has decided that there will be one round of pulse polio immunisation this year,” he said.
Tamil Nadu was free from polio for 14 years, he said, adding: “The single round of intensified pulse polio immunisation campaign will be held on February 3. More than 70 lakh children aged less than five will be covered in Tamil Nadu.”
T. Jacob John, retired virologist, Christian Medical College, Vellore, said WHO declared the South East Asian region including India as polio-free in 2014. “This means that the last case of wild polio virus was noted in January 2011. Pulse polio immunisation campaign was done twice a year to keep up the population immunity,” he said.
He pointed out to cases of polio in Pakistan and Afghanistan. “But the numbers are low in Pakistan - eight in 2018. There were 21 cases in Afghanistan in 2018. Our immediate threat is Pakistan. So, the risk is considered to be low, besides the immunisation coverage is also improving in India due to Mission Indradhanush. Since the Inactivated Polio Vaccine is rolled out, it reduces the risk of polio spread. Hence, a single round is considered sufficient now, with two additional rounds in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar,” he explained.
