Here's How States Are Prepping For 2021 Pulse Polio Campaign

Pulse Polio 2021: The Pulse Polio Immunisation Campaign for 2021 in India is scheduled for tomorrow, January 31. The campaign was earlier scheduled for January 17 but was postponed by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in the wake of the COCIV-19 Vaccination Process.

All necessary COVID-19 protocol and guidelines will be followed during the immunisation drive.

Here's how the various states in India will intend to conduct the campaign:

Tamil Nadu

The state will hold the pulse polio campaign tomorrow from 7 am to 5 pm. The Times of India has reported that 43,051 booths have been established at all government hospitals, primary healthcare centres, and various important landmarks.

The state officials have identified 70.26 lakh children in the age group of 0 - 5 years for the immunisation. The children who wouldn't be vaccinated on Sunday will receive the vaccine via home visits by government personnel. The count of a pair of hands engaged actively in this campaign crosses the two lakh mark along with 3000 government vehicles in action. 

Rajasthan

The pulse polio campaign in Rajasthan will slow down the immunisation drive for COVID-19, which requires inoculation of over 4.5 lakh workers. The Pulse Polio Vaccine sessions are to be held on three days consecutively - 29, 30, and 31 January 2021. And once it is complete, only then would the focus shift back to COVID-19 vaccination.

A senior healthcare official reported to the Times of India, " We are taking all measures to ensure that the COVID-19 vaccination drive should not get affected by the pulse polio programme. We have informed the Centre that the work of giving the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine will be completed by February 5.".

Himachal Pradesh

Due to the COVID-19 vaccination drive and the elections in the state, the Pulse Polio Programme has been postponed to 14 February 2021.

Dr Gopal Beri, Deputy Director, National Health Mission (NHM) told Tribune India, "We had written to the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare to postpone the pulse polio drive in Himachal to February 14 because of the elections to the Urban Local Bodies and Panchatayi Raj Institutions." He further added, "Covid vaccination is going to be a long process, so we can’t hold back our routine work because of it. We have enough resources to conduct both side by side, if required."

Andhra Pradesh

Governor Biswa Bhushan Harichandan is to launch the Pulse Polio Immunisation Programme tomorrow at Raj Bhavan reported by The Siasat Daily. Close to 1.5 lakh vaccinators will conduct the campaign across 37,493 booths. 74,987 house to house teams will be also be deployed, including 1,354 mobile teams for high-risk areas. The state has identified 53 lakh children under five years of age for the administration of the dose.