Lakhimpur gears up for Intensified Polio Immunization Programme on February 27

A CORRESPONDENT

LAKHIMPUR: The Lakhimpur district administration and the Health Services have geared up their moves for the effective conduct of the Intensified Polio Immunization Programme on February 27 along with the rest of the nation. In this connection, the District Health Department has already completed its preparation to conduct the programme which was to take place initially in January, but was delayed due to the third wave of COVID-19 pandemic.

This was declared by Lakhimpur District Immunization Officer (DIO) Bharati Gogoi at a press conference convened at North Lakhimpur Press Club on Friday in the presence of District Extension & Media Officer (DE&MO) Hemen Panyang, DVCCM Gautam Bhorali and other medical officers.

Notably, India rolled out the Pulse Polio Immunization Programme on October 2 in 1994, when the country accounted for around 60 per cent of the global polio cases. Within two decades, India received 'Polio-free certification' from World Health Organization on March 27 in 2014, with the last polio case being reported in Howrah in West Bengal on January 13, 2011. However, wild polio virus cases continue to be reported in neighbouring nations Pakistan and Afghanistan. As long one child remains infected, children in all countries remain at risk of contracting polio.

"Under such circumstances, the nation still needs polio immunization programme to maintain population immunity against wild poliovirus and to sustain its polio free status. With this objective the immunization programme will be conducted on February 27," the DIO asserted in the press conferences.

She further said, "On February 27, two drops of polio vaccine will be administered to the children from zero to five years at general polio booths. Next two days, health workers will visit home-to-home to administer the same to the children who are unable to come to the polio booths. A total of 1,42,029 children of the district will be vaccinated under this program."

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