Along with the rest of country, the national Intensive Pulse Polio Immunization (IPPI) campaign was also launched across Arunachal Pradesh on Sunday by the State’s Department of Health and Family Welfare.
The programme aims at administering two drops of oral polio vaccine (OPV) to all children under five years of age, a press release from state’s Nodal Officer of National Health Mission (NHM), Dr Dimong Padung stated.
The IPPI is an intensive three day activity and day one of the campaign saw a total of 77801 children have been mobilized and vaccinated with OPV.
“The State has so far achieved 52 per cent immunization out of 15295 targeted children as per available data till Sunday evening. Reports from many of the areas are also awaited due to connectivity challenge,” Dr Padung said.
Special mobile and transit teams were deployed in multiple areas to cover the high risk and transit areas respectively. The team members will continue the activity for two more days through house to house approach, wherein all children who are left out during the booth day will be administered the polio vaccine, Dr Padung said while adding that the State is expected to achieve at least more than 95 per cent of the target in the days ahead.
At Pasighat: East Siang also on Sunday joined the nationwide campaign against polio by launching the Intensified Pulse Polio Immunization (IPPI) drive across the district.
According to DMO, Dr Kaling Dai, out of 6999 targeted children, 5854 children were immunized on Sunday in the district and a two-day house survey and immunization would be carried out for the left out children.
Earlier, deputy commissioner Dr Kinny Singh, who is also the chairman of district health society, launched the programme by administering polio drops to a child at the Bakin Pertin General Hospital here.
Speaking on the occasion, the deputy commissioner asked for ensuring 100 per cent vaccine coverage of targeted children under IPPI deploying adequate men, materials and equipment to administer polio drops to children below five years at the doorstep of citizens in the district.
She instructed the DMO to constantly monitor the performance and while underscoring the importance of entrusted paramedical staffs in such programmes, she said that their active participation and coordinated efforts could dramatically improve the immunization percentage.
At Tawang: The IPPI was also launched in the Tawang district by deputy commissioner Sang Phuntsok.
In all 115 polio booths prepared according to micro plan by the Tawang district immunization cell, were active in giving pulse polio oral drops to children between aged between 0-5 years.
The 305 FD Hospital of Indian Army also took active participation in the immunization programme at the Khirmu FD Hospital.
DMO Dr Wangdi Lama said that the department’s target is to immunize 4860 children this time in the entire district.
We shall left no stone unturned to achieve our goal and to make our district, state and country polio free, he said while adding that the immunization team for interior and snow bound areas like Mago, Lugu-Thang and Thik-shi villages were dispatched one day ahead with all the necessary equipment to keep the vaccine safe.