Hyderabad, June 29: Telangana made a strong start to its Pulse Polio Immunisation Drive. Health workers gave oral polio drops to 38.9 lakh children on the first day. This covers 95.1% of the state’s target. The government plans to vaccinate more than 40.9 lakh children below the age of five.
Health and Family Welfare Commissioner Dr. Sangeetha Satyanarayana thanked parents for bringing their children to vaccination booths. She also praised doctors, nurses, ASHA workers, ANMs, Anganwadi workers, volunteers and local representatives for helping the campaign succeed.
Health Teams Will Visit Homes
Health workers will now visit homes on June 29 and June 30. They will vaccinate children who missed the first day of the campaign. The Health Department wants every eligible child to receive the vaccine.
Many Districts Record High Coverage
Several districts reported excellent results on the first day.
- Rangareddy – 99%
- Bhadradri Kothagudem – 98.9%
- Medak – 98.6%
- Mulugu – 98.2%
- Wanaparthy – 98.2%
- Jayashankar Bhupalapally – 98.1%
Hyderabad recorded 93.1% coverage.
Parents Should Not Miss the Polio Drops
Health Minister Damodar Rajanarsimha launched the campaign at Borabanda Urban Primary Health Centre. He said the government set up 2,229 Pulse Polio booths across Telangana. It also deployed 903 mobile teams to reach children in every area.
The minister urged all parents to give their children the two oral polio drops, even if they received the vaccine before. Every round of the Pulse Polio programme helps protect children from the disease.
Why the Pulse Polio Drive Matters
Polio is a dangerous disease that can cause lifelong paralysis. India has remained polio-free for several years because of regular vaccination campaigns. Health experts say every child below five years should receive polio drops during every Pulse Polio drive.
The Health Department has asked parents to support health workers during the door-to-door campaign. Vaccinating every child will help keep Telangana and India free from polio.