Assam Gears Up To Vaccinate 45 Lakh Children in Statewide Pulse Polio Drive On June 28

Guwahati: Assam has geared up for the National Immunization Day (NID) on June 28, with the Health Department aiming to administer oral polio vaccine to nearly 45 lakh children in the zero to five years age group across the state.

More than a decade after India was declared polio-free, the country continues its intensive immunisation efforts to guard against the risk of polio virus transmission and importation. National Immunisation Day, popularly known as Polio Sunday, remains a key public health initiative to ensure that every child receives protection through the Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV) in addition to the doses provided under the routine immunisation schedule.

As part of this year's nationwide Pulse Polio Programme, around 24,000 polio vaccination booths will be operational across Assam on June 28 to administer the vaccine to eligible children.

The booth day will be followed by intensive house-to-house visits and vaccination drives at mobile transit points, including bus stations and market places, as well as in high-risk areas such as brick kilns and urban slums on June 29 and 30. Mobile health teams will cover children who may have missed vaccination on the booth day.

The state will deploy nearly 92,000 health officials, staff and frontline workers during the three-day campaign. Personnel from the School Education Department and the Women and Child Development Department will also assist in ensuring the smooth conduct of the immunisation drive across all districts.

Appealing to the people of Assam, Health and Family Welfare Minister Ashok Singhal urged parents to protect their children by ensuring that they receive the two drops of polio vaccine during the campaign.

The minister said the Health and Family Welfare Department, with the active participation of District Commissioners, has made elaborate arrangements for the successful conduct of the campaign. He also appealed to all sections of society to join hands and ensure that every child in the zero-to-five-year age group in their localities receives the vaccine to sustain the country's victory over polio.