Pulse Polio: Kerala govt to cover over 27 lakh children

Thiruvananthapuram: An estimated 27 lakh children, below five years of age, in Kerala would be covered under this year's pulse polio immunisation programme, which began today. As many as 21,371 vaccination booths beside transit and mobile booths were set up and 42,742 trained teams were deployed for door-to-door vaccination across the state as part of the drive. Health Minister KK Shylaja inaugurated the state-level Pulse Polio immunisation programme at the government women and children's hospital at Tycaud here.

"The state health department is eyeing to give vaccine to 26,161,63 children, below five years, this time. Elaborate arrangements have been made for this," she said. "The vaccination through booths, began in the morning, and will continue till five in the evening. The health security is the birth right of every child and so it should not be denied to him or her," the minister added. The immunisation drive of the year was scheduled today and on April 2. After the booth-level immunisation today, trained health personnel would go to every household on January 30 and 31 and administer the vaccination for those children who did not take it.

Besides, the government hospitals, primary health care centres and anganwadis, the polio booths were also set up at railway stations, airports, bus stands, boat jetties, festival grounds and so on, where children are frequented. Special arrangements including mobile booths were set up to give vaccination for children staying in migrant labour camps in the state, she said. Other government departments including National Health Mission, Local Self Government, Revenue, Social Justice, Education, Forest, Transport, Labour, Ayush etc have been co-ordinated for the mass drive.