Weather casts shadow on polio drive

The performance of the BBMP in the second phase of the pulse polio vaccination campaign has gone down marginally compared to that during the first phase.

While 85.65 per cent of the target was achieved during the first phase, the performance went down to 82.49 per cent during the second phase held on Sunday.

Of the 6,50,592 children estimated by the Palike health officials, around 5,36,673 children below the age of five years were vaccinated on Sunday. The first phase of the campaign was held on January 20.

Dr Devaki Umesh, Chief Health Officer of the Palike attributed the decline to hot weather.  “The main reason could be weather. It was very hot on Sunday and parents chose to stay indoors with children. Normally the drive is conducted during the months of October, November and December, but never during February due to the weather.
Examination season could be another reason with many parents engaged in tutoring their wards,” Dr Devaki added. 

More than 2,080 booths were set up across the City while 8,361 vaccinators were engaged for the second phase of the drive against polio.

Dr Devaki said many people wait for the vaccinators at their doorsteps for immunisation. The volunteers will conduct door-to-door campaign on February 25, 26 and 27. A 10-day  “intense search” will be launched later to identify children left out of the drive, she said. Meanwhile, the State recorded 86.75 per cent performance in the second phase of the immunisation drive.

District-wise figures

Of the targeted 74.31 lakh children, 64.46 lakh children below the age of five years were vaccinated.  The district-wise achievement is as follows: Bagalkot - 82.54 pc, Bangalore Urban – 94.97 pc, Bangalore Rural  - 86.62 pc, BBMP – 82.61 pc, Belgaum – 91.31 pc, Bellary – 87.78 pc, Bidar - 77.63 pc, Bijapur – 77.87 pc, Chikmagalur – 89.07 pcper cent, Chikkaballapur – 92.11 pc, Chitradurga – 86.83 pc, Davangere – 85.81 pc, Dharwad – 86.28 pc, Dakshina Kannada (Mangalore) – 87.40 pc, Gadag – 80.77 pc, Gulbarga – 75.17 pc, Hassan – 94.83 pc, Haveri – 89.90 pc, Kodagu – 92.93 pc, Kolar – 86.81 pc, Koppal – 85.79 pc, Mandya – 96.01 pc, Mysore – 93.70 pc, Raichur – 80.50 pc, Ramanagar – 86.80 pc, Shimoga – 91.54 pc, Tumkur – 92.06 pc, Udupi – 93.09 pc, Uttara Kannada – 91.59 pc and Yadgir – 75.03 pc.