Indore (Madhya Pradesh): Over 5.21 lakh children under five years will be immunized against polio in Indore as part of the sub-national Pulse Polio Campaign, starting Sunday. The programme, covering 16 districts in Madhya Pradesh, aims to vaccinate over 36 lakh children state-wide.
Indore and other districts have been chosen due to their vulnerability to viral infections, largely driven by significant migratory populations. According to District Immunization Officer Dr Tarun Gupta, the campaign will begin on December 8 with over 3,600 vaccination booths set up across the district.
“Over the next two days, health teams will conduct door-to-door visits to ensure comprehensive coverage. Approximately 8,000 personnel will participate in the campaign, with round-the-clock immunization booths at bus stands, railway stations, and busy marketplace,” Dr Gupta added.
In a similar drive conducted in May, Indore achieved over 95 per cent of its target. Other districts participating in the programme include Bhopal, Gwalior, Jabalpur, Bhind, and Ujjain. India began its polio vaccination drive in 1978, with the last wild polio cases reported in 2011 in West Bengal and Gujarat.
The country was declared polio-free by the World Health Organization on March 27, 2014, and no new wild polio cases have been reported since.
