Over 2.86 lakh children vaccinated in Trichy, Madurai during Pulse Polio drive

Trichy/Madurai: More than 2.86 lakh children below the age of five were administered oral polio vaccine in Trichy and Madurai on Sunday as part of the nationwide Pulse Polio Immunisation Programme.In Trichy district, 1,71,518 children received oral polio drops at 1,602 vaccination centres between 7 am and 5 pm. Of these, 1,314 centres were in rural areas, 242 within Trichy corporation limits and 46 in municipal areas. Around 6,600 personnel, including health department staff, anganwadi workers, volunteers and field officials, were deployed for the campaign.Officials said children who could not be brought to vaccination centres on Sunday would be covered through door-to-door visits over the next three days.In Madurai, 1,15,168 children were vaccinated at 437 centres set up at urban primary health centres, urban welfare centres, anganwadi and nutrition centres, besides 28 high-footfall locations such as bus stands, the railway station, check posts and places of worship.Minister for Energy and Law CTR Nirmal Kumar inspected the vaccination drive at Madurai Government Rajaji Hospital along with local MLAs and corporation officials.

Around 1,990 personnel, including public health staff and volunteers from service organisations, were deployed for the drive. Special focus was given to vaccinating migrant children, Sri Lankan refugee children and those living in rehabilitation camps. Children who received the vaccine were marked with indelible ink on the left little finger for identification.