Punjab to administer polio drops to 33 lakh children

Chandigarh, Jan 19 (IANS) Punjab Health and Family Welfare Minister Balbir Singh Sidhu on Sunday launched a three-day pulse polio campaign at Jagatpura village in Mohali district.

More than 33 lakh children of less than five years across the state will be administered polio drops as part of the National Immunization Day drive.

After administering oral polio vaccine drops to children, the minister said the government is making all efforts to protect children from more and more diseases and emphasized that all vaccines under the programme must reach each and every child.

He said during the current drive more than 50,000 health workers, anganwari workers, nursing students and volunteers will visit houses, slums, brick-kilns, railway stations, bus stands and other places to vaccinate children.

The last case of polio was reported in 2011 in West Bengal. Punjab has not seen a case of polio since 2009.