Over 62.40 lakh children to be covered under Pulse Polio campaign in Karnataka on December 21

Over 62.4 lakh children successful the 0–5 property radical volition beryllium covered nether the Pulse Polio immunisation run to beryllium held crossed Karnataka connected December 21, Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao said connected Wednesday.

Addressing a property league astatine the Suvarna Vidhana Soudha successful Belagavi, the Minister said the National Immunisation Day (Pulse Polio) is being observed arsenic a precautionary measurement to prolong India’s polio-free status, adjacent arsenic cases proceed to beryllium reported from neighbouring countries. In 2025, Pakistan reported 51 and Afghanistan 10 cases of chaotic polio virus, highlighting the hazard of importation.

The run volition beryllium conducted successful 1 circular utilizing the bivalent oral polio vaccine (bOPV). Vaccination volition beryllium carried retired astatine booths connected December 21, followed by door-to-door visits implicit the adjacent 2 to 3 days to guarantee that nary kid successful the 0–5 property radical is missed.

Mr. Rao emphasised that each children beneath 5 indispensable beryllium fixed 2 drops, adjacent if they person received polio drops earlier. Under the regular immunisation programme, each kid is entitled to 5 doses of oral polio vaccine and 3 doses of inactivated polio vaccine (IPV), helium said.

Special absorption volition beryllium placed connected high-risk and hard-to-reach areas, including villages, hilly and wood regions, ceramic kilns, migrant settlements, municipality slums, farmhouses, and transit points specified arsenic railway stations, metro stations, airports, and seaports.

Over 33,000 booths

For the campaign, the Health Department has acceptable up 33,258 booths, with the enactment of 1,030 mobile teams and 2,096 transit teams. As galore arsenic 1,13,115 vaccinators and 7,322 supervisors person been deployed. The programme is being implemented successful coordination with assorted authorities departments and supported by organisations specified arsenic the WHO, UNICEF, Rotary International, the Indian Academy of Paediatrics and the Indian Medical Association.

The Minister said the polio vaccine is wholly harmless and appealed to parents not to beryllium swayed by rumours. The nearest vaccination booth tin beryllium located done the Nearby Vaccination Centre Karnataka mobile application.

He said nationalist practice was important to guarantee that each 1 of the 62.40 lakh targeted children is protected.