As many as 73,839 children below the age of five years have been administered with polio vaccine as part of the Pulse Polio Immunisation Programme in Pathanamthitta district on Sunday, according to official sources.
Of the 73,839 children who have been administered with the polio vaccine, 191 belonged to parents from outside Kerala, sources said.
Health department has opened a total of 1,038 pulse polio booths in different parts of the district for the smooth conduct of the nationwide polio eradication programme.
Officials records show that the district houses a total of 78,824 children below the age of five years.
All Pulse Polio booths were kept opened from 8 am to 5 pm at various Primary Health Centres, sub-centres, Anganwadis, bus stations and at the Thiruvalla Railway Station, besides various other public places across the district on Sunday.
Mr K. Sivadasan Nair, MLA, inaugurated the programme buy administering the vaccine to a kid at a function held at the General Hospital in Pathanamthitta on Sunday morning. A. Sureshkumar, municipal chairman, presided the function. Dr A.S. Pradeep, Additional Director of Health Services, delivered the Polio Day message and Dr Laila Divakar, District Medical Officer, delivered the keynote address.
Dr P.N. Vidyadharan, National Rural Health Mission district programme co-ordinator; Dr Thomas P. Thomas, Indian Medical Association district president and Dr P. Jayasree, State observer, also spoke.
Volunteers of the Health department would conduct a house-to-house campaign in the next two days to identify and administer the vaccine to those children who were not taken to the different polio booths on Sunday, official sources said.
