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Hyderabad: Telangana government will hold a pulse polio immunization drive in Hyderabad and five other districts Rangareddy, Medchal Malkajgiri, Sangareddy, Hanmakonda, Warangal on October 12, tv9 telugu reported.
Polio drops will be administered to children below five years of age in the form of Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV), health officials said.
Sustaining polio free status:
Health workers will visit households and are also expected to cover bus stands, railway stations and other public spaces to make sure no child is left out.
The immunization drive is being held to sustain India’s polio free status. Polio cases have not been reported since 2011 in the country and a risk of reintroduction remains a possibility via international transmission.
The Union Health Ministry identified 290 districts across the country for the drive, of which six districts have been included from Telangana. Migratory population density, cross border travel and urban crowding are some of the factors being considered for the immunization drive.
It comes after reports of alleged increase in polio cases in Pakistan and Bangladesh over the last three years. Health officials fear that international travel could allow the introduction of the virus into the country.
Polio, an infectious viral disease:
It is a highly infectious disease caused by polio virus and it affects young children and can cause paralysis on a permanent basis within hours of infection. It spreads through contaminated water or food.
There’s no cure for the disease and the only way to curb it is through vaccination. The Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV) blocks virus replication and transmission and triggers immune protection in the intestines.
In 2014, India was declared polio free by the World Health Organisation.
Telangana Medical and Health Department urged parents to bring their children to the nearest polio booth on October 12.
