The Pulse Polio Immunization campaign in Tamil Nadu will be conducted on Sunday. As many as 43,051 booths have been set up in all the primary health centres, government hospitals, anganwadis, noon meal centres, schools and other public places in the state.
As per a release from the health department, elaborate arrangements have been made to vaccinate 43.76 lakh children while adhering to Covid-19 norms like wearing face masks, maintaining social distancing and sanitizing hands. Children, parents or officials with Covid symptoms won’t be allowed inside the booths, which will function from 7 am to 5 pm. “Overcrowding at booths should be avoided. Only one caregiver can accompany each beneficiary,” the release read.
All children of 0-5 years of age will be provided polio drops under the campaign supported by Unicef, WHO and Rotary International. To identify children who miss out on the drops, recipients will have their left little fingers marked by the officials. All newborns have to be provided drops. So should be children immunized recently under the routine immunization schedule.
Private paediatricians and hospitals will also administer polio drops.
About two lakh personnel and volunteers from the departments of health and education as well as the Integrated Child Development Scheme will be engaged in this campaign. As many as 3,000 government vehicles are to be deployed for the campaign. Booths will be set up in major bus stands, railway stations, toll plazas, check posts and airports to cover travelling children. Apart from this, mobile teams will be sent to administer polio drops in remote, inaccessible and migrant areas.
The state has been polio-free for the past 18 years thanks to the immunization drive, the release said.