Three-day polio vaccination drive launched in Mohali’s high-risk areas

The target is to give polio shots to around 6,80,800 children across the state for which a total of 8,436 places have been identified

Punjab health and family welfare minister Balbir Singh Sidhu on Sunday launched a three-day Sub-National Immunisation Day (SNID) drive by administering drops of oral polio vaccine (OPV) to children below five years of age nearby Jujhar Nagar village here.

Punjab health minister Balbir Singh Sidhu administering polio drops to a child in Jujhar village in Mohali on Sunday. (HT PHOTO)

Speaking at the state-level programme organised by his ministry, Sidhu said that polio drops will be administered to children across the state from September 20 to September 22. He added that due to the spread of the coronavirus, the drive will cover only high-risk areas, migratory population, brick kilns, construction sites and urban slum areas.

Sharing details about teams engaged in the drive, the minister said, “The target is to give polio shots to around 6,80,800 children across the state for which a total of 8,436 places have been identified. A total of 5,530 door-to-door teams have been pressed into service, with 656 mobile teams. The total number of vaccinators, ANMs (auxiliary nurse midwife) and Asha workers is 14,749, 3,097, 11,965, respectively, whereas a total of 1,031 supervisors will carry out surprise checks to monitor the drive.”