AP Targets to Administer Polio Drops to 54 L Children Today
Vijayawada: The Andhra Pradesh government will launch the pulse polio program on December 21 with a target of administering polio drops to 54 lakh children under five years of age in the state.
Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu will officially launch the program on Sunday at his camp office in Undavalli and health minister Satya Kumar Yadav at a city health center in Kakinada, health and family welfare commissioner G. Veerapandian said in a statement issued here on Saturday.
State health authorities targeted 54.07 lakh children under five years of age and mobilized 98.99 lakh doses and even appointed nodal offices in the district to monitor the implementation of the programme.
Health minister Satya Kumar Yadav appealed to parents to come forward and get their children under five vaccinated against polio and advised them to cooperate with medical staff to administer the vaccine.
Authorities organized stalls across the state, including ANMs, ASHA workers and other medical personnel, to administer polio drops to children.
If eligible children fail to be vaccinated on Sunday for various reasons, health personnel will visit their homes on December 22 and 23 to administer polio drops at their doors. Public transport teams will go around to learn about children and administer polio drops, and public transport booths will also be arranged to administer polio vaccinations at bus stations, train stations, airports, tourist attractions, markets and other places.
Make sure every child gets polio drops: Collector
NTR district collector Dr. G. Lakshmisha on Saturday urged parents to vaccinate every child under five years of age against polio, stressing that even though India and Andhra Pradesh have eliminated the disease, constant vigilance is necessary.
Organizing the Pulse Polio Rally near the Old Government General Hospital in Vijayawada, the collector said that collective efforts with Arogya Andhra as the main pillar are required to achieve the goals of Swarna Andhra and Viksit Bharat. The rally was organized by the district medical and health department and jointly inaugurated by collector and Vijayawada Municipal Corporation commissioner Dhyanchandra HM along with representatives of Rotary, Lions Clubs and Indian Medical Association.
The Collector said that the Pulse Polio program is being continued as a measure to ensure a healthy future for children. He said that vaccination at the booth level will be done on December 21, followed by a door-to-door campaign on December 22 and 23.
Dr Lakshmisha said this initiative will be implemented with coordinated efforts of medical and health, revenue, panchayati raj, municipal, public transport and ICDS departments with rural and urban stands, mobile teams and crossing points ensuring complete coverage.
