KOCHI: A total of 26.16 lakh children under five years of age were administered polio drops in the State on Sunday as part of phase-I of the immunisation drive.
The programme was conducted through 21,371 pulse polio booths arranged at bus stands, railway stations, airports, government/private hospitals and anganwadis. Mobile polio booths were set up in areas where commutation is difficult. In the Ernakulam district, polio drops were administered on 2,23,890 children, at 1,810 ordinary booths and 90 mobile booths.
Phase-II of the immunisation drive will be held on February 21. Meanwhile, health workers will visit the children who were not immunised on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday at their homes, and administer polio drops. “A comprehensive vaccination drive will be launched to ensure that all children in the State are immunised,” said Minister for Health V S Sivakumar. He was speaking after inaugurating the programme at Ernakulam General Hospital. The function was presided over by Hibi Eden MLA. Excise and Ports Minister K Babu delivered the keynote address. Ludi Louis MLA, district panchayat president Asha Sanil, District Collector M G Rajamanickam, Deputy Mayor T J Vinod, Health Services Director R Ramesh, District Medical Officer N K Kuttappan and General Hospital Superintendent V S Dalia, among others, also took part.