Mysuru: Concerned over any entry of polio virus from other countries and to maintain the polio-free status granted to India by the World Health Organisation, the Mysuru District Administration, backed by the respective drives launched by Centre and State Governments, launched the first phase of the three-day Pulse Polio programme for 2018 this morning.

In city, the Pulse Polio drive was launched at Jayanagar Health Centre by MLA M.K. Somashekar. Mayor B. Bhagyavathi, District Health Officer B. Basavaraju and other Health Officials were present. In the first phase, over 2,63,480 children of less than five years across the district will be administered polio drops to sustain polio eradication  from the country.

India was declared polio-free on March 27, 2014. According to Health Officers, India needs to remain vigilant and maintain the population immunity and sensitive surveillance till global polio eradication happens as polio virus is still circulating in other parts of the world which may re-infect children.

In Mysuru district, there are over 1,186 pulse polio centres that is targeted with administering polio drops to 1,51,850 children. Of these, 836 centres are high-risk centres. In Mysuru city, there are over 402 centres that will target 1,11,630 children below five years. In all, 6,352 volunteers and nurses have been appointed for the drive and there are 320 centre managers who will supervise the pulse polio campaign.

Twenty-seven mobile units that are equipped with staff and pulse polio units are parked at City Railway Station, bus stations and other areas where there is density of people to administer polio drops to children. From tomorrow, volunteers will visit every house to administer pulse polio drops.