Pulse polio drive second phase underway, over 3 lakh children to be immunised

The second phase of Pulse Polio immunisation camp is currently underway in several parts of the country. Parents of children below five years can avail the vaccine in these camps on Sunday, March 11.

Taking to Twitter, the Ministry of Health shared:

“Various initiatives & schemes launched in recent decades have resulted in substantially bringing down the infant & maternal mortality rates rolled out from time to time & we have also been able to get rid of the dreaded diseases like polio,” wrote Health Minister J P Nadda on Twitter.

In Chennai, over 1,600 camps have been set up across the city to administer polio drops to children aged five. In Andhra Pradesh alone, over three lakh children are expected to be vaccinated.

The Polio virus destroys motor neurons in the central nervous system causing paralysis or even death.

The Global Polio Eradication Initiative led by the World Health Organisation has resulted in 99 per cent fewer cases in the past 30 years.