Jharkhand Government Launches State-Level Pulse Polio Programme; Over 61 Lakh Children to Receive Vaccine in Three Days

On National Immunization Day, Jharkhand Health Minister Banna Gupta inaugurated a three-day pulse polio programme at Ayushman Arogya Mandir in Ramjanamnagar. The initiative aims to administer polio vaccines to over 61 lakh children across the state, according to an official statement.

"We have controlled polio and no case of a patient inflicted with the disease has been recorded in the country," the statement quoted the minister as saying. "In an attempt to maintain a similar trend, we are observing immunization day as the country had earlier witnessed the adverse effect of the disease," he said.

According to a report of PTI, Gupta also stressed the importance of vigilance during the campaign. A total of 61,15,703 children statewide are set to receive the polio vaccine. To facilitate this, 48,926 teams have been organized to administer the vaccine at 24,463 booths. Additionally, 4,893 supervisors have been deployed to oversee the operation, the minister added.

The vaccine will be given to children aged 0 to 5 years, aiming to prevent polio and bolster the country's health. The state is fully prepared for the programme, with all necessary arrangements in place to ensure its success, the minister asserted.

In his home district East Singhbhum, Gupta said that Sahiya didi, Sevikas and representatives of NGOs will make door-to-door visits on August 26 and 27 August to administer the drops to the children.