The polio vaccination drive began in Jammu and Kashmir's Doda district on Sunday as part of the National Polio Immunisation Programme in which children in the age group of 0-5 years will be administered polio drops following COVID-19 protocols.
"Today (Sunday) we started the Pulse Polio vaccination programme and vaccination on booth level took place here. There are 71,000 beneficiaries in our district in which children between 0-5 years will get vaccines. Vaccination is being done in 523 booths and a door-to-door campaign will take place for the next two days," said Dr Sagar D Doifode, District Development Commissioner, Doda.
"I would like to appeal to the people to get their kids vaccinated. It is important to ignore the rumours being spread amid the pandemic. There is no need for any apprehension and fear," he added.
The health ministry said that pulse polio immunization will be taken up on January 31, February 1 and 2.
Close to 89 lakh children (as per provisional data) under five years across the country were given polio drop during Polio National Immunization Day, also known as "Polio Ravivar" on Sunday.
As per an official release of Union Ministry of Health, vaccinations were conducted at close to 7 lakh booths which were staffed with around 12 lakh vaccinators and 1.8 lakh supervisors.
"The booth activity will be followed by house-to-house surveillance (mop-up rounds) over the next two to five days to identify and vaccinate children who missed getting vaccinated at the booths. Vaccination teams have also been deployed at bus terminals, railway stations, airports and ferry crossing to vaccinate children in transit to ensure no child misses the life-saving dose," it stated.
The ministry said all measures have been taken to ensure safety during the times of the pandemic by maintaining COVID-19 appropriate practices, such as preventing overcrowding at booths, maintaining the physical distance of 2 metres, wearing masks, washing hands and administering polio drops in well ventilated-settings.
( With inputs from ANI )
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