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Over 94,000 covered in first phase of polio campaign

Photo: T. Singaravelou

Preventive measures: A health volunteer administering polio vaccine to children in Puducherry on Sunday. —

PUDUCHERRY: In the first phase of the intensified pulse polio campaign on Sunday, the Health Department covered as many as 94,577 children in the 0-5 age group in the four regions of the Union Territory. In the Puducherry region alone, the department covered as many as 73,438 children.

Health Department officials said that they had set a target of 93,512 children for immunisation in the first phase of the campaign. The target exceeded as there was good turn-out from floating population. The total percentage of children covered was 101.13 per cent, he said.

The department would carry out a door-to-door campaign to ensure no child was left out in the first phase. The second phase of the immunisation programme would be held on February 1, with follow up on February 2 and 3.

Following the report of the death of a child after being administered polio vaccination in Tamil Nadu, panic-struck parents took their children to nearby community health centres in Mannadipet and Thirukkannur for a check-up.

However, Director of Health and Family Welfare Services Dilip Kumar Baliga told The Hindu that it was only “a panic reaction” and all the children were normal, with no symptoms of any complication.

Four children from Vadhanur had been admitted to Indira Gandhi Government Hospital and Postgraduate Institute for observation. “All the four are keeping well,” he said.

Volunteers administered polio vaccine to children at brick kilns, stone quarries, bridge and road construction sites in Villupuram district on Sunday.

Collector R. Palanisamy inaugurated the vaccination programme at the Villupuram Municipal Mother and Child Welfare Centre and at the Vikkiravandi bus stand.

He said that 3,30,409 children under the age of five would be covered. A total of 9,688 employees had been deployed in 2,380 centres. Eleven vans acting as mobile centres were pressed into service.

Even habitations of nomads were brought under the programme. For attending to the travelling public, volunteers were stationed at bus stands and railway stations.

Collector Rajendra Ratnoo began the programme at Puduchathiram where at least 300 children were given the vaccine. Over 6,100 volunteers were manning 1,530 centres to cover 2,53,487 children.

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