The Visakhapatnam district administration is set to launch the Pulse Polio Immunisation Programme on June 28, aiming to administer oral polio vaccine to 1,89,712 children below five years of age. The campaign is part of the nationwide effort to maintain India's polio-free status and ensure that every eligible child receives protection against the disease.

 

According to District Collector M. Abhishikth Kishore, the Health Department has established 1,062 polio booths, along with 62 transit booths and 94 mobile booths, to make vaccination easily accessible across urban and rural areas. More than 2,000 special teams, 4,518 vaccinators, and 120 supervisors have been deployed to carry out the immunisation drive and subsequent door-to-door visits.

 

Officials stated that children who miss vaccination on June 28 will be covered through house-to-house visits on June 29 and 30. Anganwadi workers, ASHA workers, health staff, and volunteers have been instructed to coordinate closely to ensure that no eligible child is left out of the programme.

 

The district administration has appealed to parents and guardians to actively participate in the campaign by taking their children to the nearest vaccination centre. Officials emphasised that administering two drops of the oral polio vaccine is essential to protect children from poliovirus and sustain India's achievement as a polio-free nation.