Tamil Nadu to immunise 52.9 lakh children in pulse polio drive on June 28

The Tamil Nadu Health Department will launch an intensive pulse polio immunisation drive across Chennai and the rest of the state on Sunday, June 28, to target 52.9 lakh children in the 0-5 age group. The massive public health campaign aims to ensure that every eligible child receives the vaccine drops.

According to an official press release, the immunisation drive will run from 7:00 am to 5:00 pm. The health department has clarified that children who have already been administered polio drops in the past must be administered the drops again on this day.

The department will set up a total of 43,051 centres across Tamil Nadu to facilitate the campaign. These vaccination booths will be established at various public venues, including all public health centres (PHCs), government hospitals, integrated child development scheme centres, noon meal centres, and schools, alongside other important locations.

To ensure that children who are travelling do not miss out, transit booths will be set up at major transport hubs. These include bus stands, railway stations, customs posts, checkpoints, and airports. While the standard camps will operate on the first day of the drive, the transit booths will continue their operations on June 29 and June 30 to capture any remaining children.

The drive is designed to be highly inclusive, reaching even the most vulnerable and marginalized communities. Special camps will be set up to administer drops to children of migrant workers. Additionally, mobile medical units will be deployed to reach families living in remote and inaccessible areas, as well as tribal populations residing in hill regions.

To manage this large-scale operation, a workforce of more than two lakh individuals will be engaged. This team will consist of dedicated health workers, anganwadi workers, school teachers, and volunteers who will coordinate the administration of the drops and manage the booths across the state.