The First round of pulse polio National Immunisation Day (NID) will be conducted on February 19 by administration of trivalent OPV (tOPV) vaccine to all the children in the age group of 0-5 years at the Pulse Polio booths throughout Andhra Pradesh. House-to-House activity from Feb 20-22 in seven identified Municipal Corporation areas.
Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy in a message on this occasion said, “Let us work with the same spirit to achieve zero polio status across the country in 2012,”. He said Andhra Pradesh is polio free since 2008. The last polio case in India was in West Bengal in January 2011.
The Chief Minister said that this year the main focus will be on vulnerable groups like beggar community, nomadic tribes, fishermen community, migratory families, construction labour, urban slum dwellers, residents of peri urban areas, overlapping the surrounding Panchayats, new colonies outside the towns, tourist groups, families with working hours that do not coincide with the team visits, agricultural families living/ working in the fields.
As many as 63,666 PPI booths will be set up for the prorgramme besides having 1,864 mobile teams. As many as 99,38, 713 children in the age group of 0-5 years will be administered polio drops. Besides, 1,02,015 children in the high risk group will also be administered drops.
Health staff, Teachers, volunteers, ASHAs, AWWs, Mahila Mandali/SHG Members, Student Volunteers all are being involved in this NID programme.
The Chief Minister said Pulse polio booths have to be established round-the-clock in bus stands, railway stations, temple towns, places of tourist importance and public gatherings like exhibitions, parks, etc. Special focus will be given to migratory population at borders (inter district/State).
In view of Sunday on Feb 19 followed by Maha Shivaratri festival on Feb 20 special booths are being arranged at temples and on the way to Shiva temples. (INN)