Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, Feb 28: Starting March 3, nearly 19 lakh children under 5 years of age will receive oral polio vaccine during a three-day Pulse Polio Immunization drive across J&K.
Details about the campaign were shared by the Secretary of Health & Medical Education (H&ME) Department, Dr. Syed Abid Rasheed Shah.
He also urged people to take their children falling in the age group to the nearby health centers on the day, noting the country’s leading role in immunization.
“The Government of J&K, H&ME Department has worked hard to ensure the success of immunization across J&K; during these days, we are going to immunize around 19 lakh children of 5 years across J&K,” he said.
He further informed that 45,000 Health Care Workers (HCWs) across the region will work hard to ensure that not a single child is left out and that effective coverage under the pulse polio immunization is achieved.
“On March 3, we will have the booth day where the children will be brought to the vaccination booth, and on the next 2 days, we will have door-to-door campaigns in which the left-outs will be covered,” he said.
The Secretary emphasized that the scourge of polio needs to be eradicated from the world and the country, noting that India is a guiding light in the entire exercise “in which we have made sure that we have completely eradicated polio.”
He added, “We have to make sure that we stay in this post-eradicated status, therefore, I seek public cooperation to ensure that not a single child is left out.”