Pulse Polio: 90.5% of kids given drops on Day One in Karnataka

The state on Sunday launched the Pulse-Polio programme on Sunday and on the first day itself covered 90.5 per cent of the targeted children’s population.
Medical staff administering polio drops to a baby. (Photo| P Ravindra Babu, EPS)
Medical staff administering polio drops to a baby. (Photo| P Ravindra Babu, EPS)

BENGALURU: The state on Sunday launched the Pulse-Polio programme on Sunday and on the first day itself covered 90.5 per cent of the targeted children’s population. The state has slotted three days for the programme from January 31 to February 3. The total targeted children are 64,07,692, while 57,98,611 were given the drops on Day 1.

Among districts, Udupi topped with 99.44 coverage, followed by Mandya at 97.57 per cent, Uttar Kannada 96.52 per cent, Chamrajanagar 96.07 per cent and Bengaluru Urban 91.35 per cent. The programme was launched by B S Yediyurappa at Krishna along with Health Minister Dr K Sudhakar. Yediyurappa and Dr Sudhakar gave the drops to a few children.

Dr Sudhakar said, “More than 60 lakh children in the 0-5 year age group will get the vaccine in the state. To augment staff for this programme, the Covid vaccination drive has been temporarily stopped for four days. Mobile units have been launched. There has been no polio case in the country for the last 11 years, while neighbouring countries, like Pakistan and Afghanistan, are still not polio-free. The drive is being continued as a precautionary measure.” 

Revenue Minister R Ashoka and BBMP Commissioner Manjunatha Prasad visited H Siddhaiah Referral Hospital and started the programme by giving drops to a few children. In the BBMP limits, 12,84,392 children are targetted. In all, 3,340 booths with 456 fixed teams and 14,922 vaccine workers will carry out the programme in the city. 

A parent, Arfa Fathima, who had taken her one year old child to Urdu School on Mosque Road said, “It took a few second to finish the process. It was well managed and we did not stand in long queues. After the vaccination, the little finger of my child was inked.”

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