2,22,084 children below five to be covered; 1,600 booths, 4,000 health staff deployed

Mysore/Mysuru: A three-day Pulse Polio drive began across the district this morning as part of a nationwide initiative under the National Pulse Polio Immunisation Programme. The drive will conclude on Dec. 23.

The District Administration, in association with the Zilla Panchayat and the District Health & Family Welfare Department, formally launched the campaign at Lakshmidevamma Shankara Shetty Maternity Hospital in V.V. Puram.

Chamaraja MLA K. Harishgowda administered polio drops to a child, marking the inauguration, in the presence of Deputy Commissioner G. Lakshmikanth Reddy, ZP CEO S. Ukesh Kumar, District Health Officer (DHO) Dr. P.C. Kumaraswamy, District Surgeon Dr. Satish and District Reproductive and Child Health Officer Dr. Mohammed Shiraz Ahmed.

District-wise coverage

In Mysuru district, out of a total population of 33.78 lakh spread across 10,07,072 households, 2,22,084 children below five years of age have been identified for immunisation.

Taluk-wise targets include Mysuru Urban (88,879), Mysuru Rural (24,525), T. Narasipur (18,010), Nanjangud (20,652), H.D. Kote (18,684), Hunsur (17,222), Periyapatna (18,074) and K.R. Nagar (15,238), totalling 2,22,084 children.

Booths and workforce

DHO Dr. Kumaraswamy said that 95 percent of the target children are expected to be covered on the first day itself.

More than 1,600 vaccination booths have been set up across the district, with the deployment of over 4,000 personnel, including Doctors, Health staff and Taluk Health Officers.

Special booths have been established at transit points such as the Railway Station, KSRTC Sub-Urban Bus Stand, and major tourist locations, including Mysore Palace and Mysuru Zoo.

At the Sub-Urban Bus Stand, booths are functioning at the Mysuru-Bengaluru terminal, inter-State terminal and Tumakuru-side terminal, while the Palace booth is located near the Varaha Gate, the main entrance.

Door-to-door follow-up

On the second, third and fourth days of the drive, Health Workers will conduct house-to-house visits to identify and administer drops to children who may have missed vaccination at booths. Although India was declared polio-free in 2014 with the last case reported in January 2011, polio cases continue to be reported in neighbouring countries such as Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Officials said, the continued conduct of Pulse Polio drives is essential to prevent the risk of virus transmission through migratory populations.