86.83 per cent coverage in State on inaugural day of pulse polio campaign

 Across the State, 86.83 per cent of the target immunisation was achieved on Day One of the first round of the pulse polio campaign on Sunday. While Kalaburagi reported the lowest number of children immunised, the highest was in Mandya district. A total of 64,46,530 children were immunised in designated booths on Sunday.

The best-performing districts are the ones in South Karnataka, with Mandya achieving 96.17 per cent immunisation. This was followed by Kodagu district at 95.08 per cent, Bengaluru Rural at 94.59 per cent and Mysuru at 93.44 per cent. Tumakuru and Shivamogga districts reported close to 92 per cent.

According to Dr A Ramachandra Bairy, deputy director, immunisation, department of health and family welfare, the lowest performing districts fall in the Hyderabad-Karnataka and North Karnataka regions.

Kalaburagi reported 76.08, Yadgir 77.24, Vijayapura 77.45, Bidar 77 and Bagalkot 76.83. Officials in the department of health and family welfare said that they would cover those left out in the door-to-door campaign.

On Sunday, volunteers who were spread across the City checked on children to see if the small finger on their left hand was inked. At traffic signals, toll plazas and also in malls, the drive was on in full swing.

Meanwhile, in limits of the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), 86.23 per cent immunisation was achieved on Day One.

Out of a target of 6,50,674 children, 5,61,074 were immunised. Out of this, 98,624 children were vaccinated by the transit teams in places such as malls, fairs and markets.
With a target of 72.46 lakh children across the State, 32,617 booths were designated to administer polio drops on Sunday. In BBMP limits and Bengaluru Urban, in all, 4,000 booths were operational.

As many as 1,205 mobile teams, 1,736 transit teams and over 1.3 lakh volunteers were on the ground to carry out the programme.

From Monday, a three-day door-to-door programme will take place in parts of North Karnataka and Bengaluru.

In other areas, a two-day door-to-door programme will take place. The second round of the campaign is slated for February.