Pulse Polio drive on June 28 targets 49 lakh children across AP

Vijayawada: Andhra Pradesh has launched a statewide drive to ensure that no child below five years misses the Pulse Polio vaccination scheduled for June 28, with the government mobilising over 1.31 lakh field personnel to reach an estimated 49.2 lakh children across the state.Reviewing preparations on Friday, Principal Secretary (Health) S. Suresh Kumar chaired a State Task Force meeting and directed district collectors to personally oversee the campaign, stressing that “not even one eligible child should be missed.” While India has remained polio-free for over 15 years and Andhra Pradesh has reported no wild poliovirus for more than 17 years, he said continued vigilance was essential as the disease remains endemic in countries such as Afghanistan and Pakistan.The campaign will begin with booth-based immunisation on June 28, followed by house-to-house verification and mop-up drives on June 29 and 30. Health officials said all children under five years will receive two drops of the oral polio vaccine irrespective of their previous immunisation status.The state has established 29,873 vaccination booths, deployed 59,746 house-to-house teams, 1,757 mobile teams for migrant and high-risk populations and 1,144 transit booths at transport hubs and other public locations.

Around 68.67 lakh doses of the vaccine have already been distributed to districts.Officials said special emphasis will be placed on reaching children living in slums, construction sites, brick kilns, migrant labour colonies and other vulnerable habitations. Transit teams will also vaccinate children at bus stations, railway stations, airports and major public gathering points.The government will use the APCHFW digital portal for real-time monitoring of vaccination coverage and identification of missed children, enabling district authorities to take corrective action during the campaign itself. Multiple departments, including municipal administration, school education, women and child welfare, labour, APSRTC and panchayat raj, have been asked to coordinate the drive, while WHO, UNICEF and UNDP will provide technical and logistical support.The health department appealed to parents to bring every child below five years to the nearest Pulse Polio booth on June 28, even if the child has already received polio vaccine earlier, saying the additional doses are essential to sustain the country’s polio-free status.