J&K aims to immunise 19 lakh children in Pulse Polio drive on Mar 3

Jammu and Kashmir are gearing up to inoculate a staggering nineteen lakh children under the age of five as part of the nationwide Pulse Polio immunization campaign scheduled for March 3, Sunday.
Dr. Syed AbidRasheed Shah, Secretary of Health and Medical Education, emphasized the importance of administering the Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV) to every child under the age of five on National Immunization Day.
“With approximately 45,000 healthcare workers deployed across the region, even in the most remote areas, we are determined to ensure that every child receives the necessary immunization,” stated Dr. Shah.
The immunization drive will commence with a booth day on March 3rd, followed by door-to-door campaigns on March 4th and 5th to ensure comprehensive coverage.
Dr. Shah stressed the significance of maintaining India’s polio-free status since 2011, urging healthcare workers and parents alike to actively participate in the initiative.
He highlighted the unique challenges posed by certain districts and emphasized the need for meticulous planning, particularly in slum areas, brick kilns, construction sites, and other hard-to-reach regions.
The Pulse Polio Immunization Programme, initiated in India in 1994, has been instrumental in significantly reducing polio cases. India’s last reported case of polio from the wild poliovirus was in Kerala in 2000, with no further cases reported since 2011.
India’s successful eradication efforts led to its certification as ‘Polio-free’ by the World Health Organization in 2014, underscoring the nation’s commitment to safeguarding public health.