Gujarat: 1.58 lakh children to be covered in 'Pulse Polio Campaign' in Gandhinagar
Gandhinagar, June 26
More than 1.58 lakh children in Gandhinagar district will be administered polio drops on June 28 as part of the Pulse Polio National Immunisation Campaign, with authorities deploying thousands of health workers, hundreds of booths, and special outreach teams to ensure complete coverage.
The campaign aims to protect 1,58,721 children aged 0 to 5 years across the district by administering two drops of the polio vaccine.
The initiative will be carried out through an extensive network of 746 vaccination booths set up across Gandhinagar, allowing parents to bring their children for immunisation on the designated day.
To reach children in remote and high-mobility populations, 103 mobile teams will be deployed to areas such as brick kilns, construction sites and other underserved locations.
In addition, five transit teams will operate at bus stands, railway stations and other public places to vaccinate children who are travelling or on the move.
A total of 3,167 health workers will be engaged in the campaign to supervise and administer the vaccine, ensuring coordination across booths, mobile units and transit points.
Authorities have also put in place a follow-up mechanism for children who may miss vaccination on the main Pulse Polio day.
On the second and third day of the drive, 427 dedicated teams will conduct a house-to-house survey across the district to identify and vaccinate any child left out of the booth-based programme, with the objective of achieving complete coverage.
The district administration and health department have urged parents to ensure that all eligible children are taken to the nearest booth on June 28 and receive the polio vaccine drops, in keeping with the national slogan "do boond zindagi ki", to support efforts to maintain a polio-free country.
— IANS
Reader Comments
I am from the US and I'm genuinely impressed by how India continues to run these massive immunization campaigns year after year. The level of organization needed to set up 746 booths, 103 mobile teams, and 427 house-to-house teams is remarkable. Meanwhile, in some parts of my country, we struggle to get basic vaccines to rural areas. Kudos to the Gandhinagar health department and all the workers involved. This is global leadership in public health. 🩺
Pulse Polio is one of the few government programs that actually touches every Indian home, and I think it's beautiful. But here's my slightly critical take: why do we still have to deploy 427 teams for house-to-house follow-ups on days 2 and 3? Some parents still refuse or neglect vaccination due to superstitions or misinformation. The health department should also start a digital awareness campaign in local languages targeting these specific groups. Just vaccine booths won't work if awareness is poor. Still, great effort overall.
"Do boond zindagi ki" - this slogan has become a part of Indian childhood memories for my generation! I still remember my parents taking me to the local booth in the 90s. And now I'm taking my own kids. India having 0 polio cases for over a decade is a miracle of collective effort. In Gandhinagar, they've even thought about brick kiln workers and mobile populations - that's the kind of inclusive planning we need. All parents, please take your children on June 28. Every drop counts!
I'm a pediatrician and I can't stress enough how important these campaigns are. I've seen cases of polio-related disability in older patients - it's devastating. India's Pulse Polio campaign is a model for the world. One concern though: I hope the mobile teams in remote areas have enough cold chain equipment to keep vaccines effective in this Gujarat heat. Also, to
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