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Himachal Pradesh has completed all preparations for the National Immunization Day (NID) Pulse Polio Campaign to be held on Sunday, June 28, with the Health Department aiming to administer Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV) drops to nearly 5.94 lakh children below the age of five through 4,753 Pulse Polio booths across the state.
The state's preparedness was reviewed at a meeting of the State Task Force for Immunization (STFI) held on June 23 under the chairmanship of Health Secretary M Sudha Devi, IAS. Similar review meetings have also been conducted in all districts under the supervision of the respective Deputy Commissioners to ensure smooth implementation of the campaign. Health authorities have completed the deployment of vaccines, logistics, trained vaccination teams and supervisors at all designated locations to facilitate the statewide immunization exercise. Mission Director, National Health Mission (NHM), Himachal Pradesh, Pradeep Kumar Thakur, IAS, has appealed to parents and caregivers to bring every child below five years of age to the nearest Pulse Polio booth on June 28, irrespective of the child's previous vaccination status. To ensure that no eligible child is left out, health teams will conduct intensive house-to-house visits on June 29 and 30 to vaccinate children who may have missed receiving the vaccine on the booth day. The NHM has also sought the cooperation of newly elected Panchayati Raj Institution representatives, Gram Pradhans, urban local body representatives, teachers and community volunteers to mobilize families and ensure maximum participation in the campaign. In addition, ASHA workers have prepared detailed line lists of all eligible children in their respective areas to strengthen follow-up efforts and achieve complete coverage. Although India has remained polio-free since 2011, health officials emphasized that sustained vigilance is essential as wild poliovirus continues to circulate in neighbouring Pakistan and Afghanistan. They said every Pulse Polio round plays a crucial role in maintaining India's immunity barrier and preventing the reintroduction of the disease. (ANI)
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