VIJAYAWADA: The State government has completed all arrangements for the Pulse Polio immunisation programme on December 21, Health Minister Y Satya Kumar Yadav said on Saturday. The drive aims to administer polio drops to 54,07,663 children below five years of age across AP.
The Minister said the programme is being conducted as per the Union Government’s guidelines to ensure that every child under five is covered. For this, 61,26,120 doses have been dispatched to all districts, and 38,267 booths will be set up at the village and ward level.
He added that although India is officially polio-free, the Centre has advised states to continue preventive measures to avoid any resurgence.
The State has mobilised a large workforce for the National Immunisation Day activities. Children who miss the vaccination on December 21 will be covered through a door-to-door campaign on December 22 and 23. As many as 76,534 field teams will visit households to ensure that no child is left out. Houses where all children are vaccinated will be marked with a ‘P,’ while those where any child is missed will be marked with an ‘X.’
To reach children in remote and high-movement areas, the government has arranged 1,854 mobile teams, each comprising a medical officer and two supporting staff. These teams will operate from December 21 to 23.The Minister appealed to all parents to ensure that their children receive the polio drops to keep AP polio-free.