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Over 93,000 children to be immunised against polio

PUDUCHERRY: The first phase of the intensified pulse polio immunisation programme will be held on Sunday in all the four regions of the Union Territory. The Health Department plans to immunise as many as 93,512 children in the 0-5 age group.

To ensure proper coverage of children under the programme, the department will conduct a door-to-door follow up on December 22 and 23. The second phase of the intensified immunisation programme will be held on February 1, with follow up on February 2 and 3.

The Union Territory has been free of polio in the last 10 years. The last two cases were reported in 1998 in Puducherry and Karaikal, Deputy Director of Immunisation, Directorate of Health and Family Welfare V. Sankar Reddy said.

“There has been more migration of people from polio-affected States such as Uttar Pradesh and Bihar . We should not get any polio cases here and so we are covering the migratory population under the immunisation programme,” he said.

The department had enumerated a total of 93,512 children in the 0-5 age group. This included 71,719 children in Puducherry, 15,200 in Karaikal, 2,533 in Mahe and 4,060 in Yanam, he said.

“We will have a total of 411 booths and seven transit booths in border areas. The transit booths in Puducherry will be located at the bus terminus, railway station, Madagadipet, Kurumbapet, Kalapet, Gorimedu and Kannikoil and one border booth at Yanam. A mobile booth will be operated in Puducherry,” Mr. Reddy said.

The booths would function from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., while the transit booths would be open from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. The booths would be located at schools and anganwadi centres.

Nearly 822 teams, with two persons each, had been involved in the programme. Each booth would have four members. “In 2007-2008, the coverage of the pulse polio immunisation campaign was 104 per cent. We have roped in several departments for the programme, including the Police, Education, Social Welfare, Women and Child Development Departments and non-government organisations,” he said.

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