Telangana on the inaugural day of the Pulse Polio immunisation campaign, achieved a commendable 92.52% coverage. The set target for this year was 40.57 lakh children aged 0-5 across all the 33 districts of the State, with 37.52 lakh (92.52%) receiving immunisation by the conclusion of the first day.
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Minister for Health C. Damodar Rajanarasimha inaugurated the programme at Area Hospital, Jogipet in Sangareddy district on Sunday. The initiative involved the administration of two drops of Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV) to all children aged 0 to 5 years, including newborns. The vaccine was dispensed through various channels such as booths, transit points, and mobile teams.
For the success of the programme, a total of 22,445 polio booths, 910 mobile teams, 910 transit points, and 2,245 route supervisors were deployed.
A healthcare worker administers a dose of polio drops to a child during an immunisation drive, at Begumpet in Hyderabad on March 3, 2024. | Photo Credit: The Hindu
As the Pulse Polio Programme progresses, it will extend over the next two to three days as a House-to-House activity. This approach aims to cover children who may have been missed or were unable to visit the designated booths for vaccination. Vaccinators will conduct home visits to ensure that the immunisation target reaches 100%, said a senior health official.
The official emphasised that Telangana leads the nation in adopting online reporting for the Pulse Polio Programme. This innovative approach ensures transparency and authenticity in monitoring the progress of the vaccination campaign.