Over 6 lakh children to be administered polio drops

Chandigarh, Sep 8 (UNI) More than six lakh children in Haryana would be covered under the special pulse polio immunisation campaign for migrants starting tomorrow in the state.

A Haryana Health Department spokesman today said adequate arrangments have been made for the successful implementation of the campaign and 2586 teams would be deployed to go from house-to-house to immunize children.

The functioning of these teams would be closely monitored by about 500 Supervisors during the three-day campaign. To assess quality coverage independent monitors would also be deployed from Pt B D Sharma Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences, Rohtak, he added.

He said with a view to check wild polio virus transmission in the country, the efforts to eradicate polio were being stepped up this year with more focus and specific approach on tracking and vaccinating the most vulnerable children who migrate from high risk and endemic states.

These migrants, being inadequately protected, and remaining missing during the routine and supplementary immunisation rounds, might be at a greater risk of contracting polio.

He said it was on the recommendations of the India Expert Advisory Group that the groups of migratory population in States of Punjab, Haryana, Gujarat and West Bengal were being identified and vaccinated in synchronisation with pulse polio immunisation campaign in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.

Therefore, the focus during immunisation activity starting tomorrow would be only on localities with migrants in urban and peri-urban areas, he added.

UNI