Pulse Polio Immunization On 19 Feb

The first round of the Pulse Polio National Immunisation Day (NID) will be conducted on 19 February by the administration of trivalent OPV (tOPV) vaccine to all children in the age group of 0-5 years, at pulse polio booths throughout Andhra Pradesh.

House-to-house activity will be conducted on 20-22 Feb in 7 identified Municipal Corporation areas.

Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy, in a message, said, "Let us work with the same spirit to achieve zero polio status across the country in 2012."

He said that Andhra Pradesh has been polio-free since 2008, and that the last polio case in India was in West Bengal in January 2011.

The Chief Minister said that this year, the focus of the immunization program will be on vulnerable groups like the beggar community, nomadic tribes, the fisherman community, migratory families, construction labourers, urban slum-dwellers, residents of peri-urban areas, residents of areas overlapping surrounding panchayats, residents of new colonies outside towns, tourist groups, families with working hours that do not coincide with team visits, and agricultural families living/working in fields.

As many as 63,666 PPI booths will be set up for the program, besides 1,864 mobile teams.

99,38,713 children in the age group of 0-5 years will be administered polio drops. Besides, 1,02,015 children in the high-risk group will also be administered drops.

Health staff, teachers, volunteers, ASHAs, AWWs, Mahila Mandali / SHG members, and student volunteers are all being involved in the NID program.

The Chief Minister said that pulse polio booths must be established round-the-clock in bus stands, railway stations, temple towns, places of tourist importance and public gatherings like exhibitions and parks. Special focus will be given to the migratory population at borders of districts as well as those of the state.

Since 20 Feb is Maha Shivaratri, special booths are also being arranged at temples and on the way to Shiva temples. (INN)