The pulse polio immunisation drive held on Sunday achieved 97.3 % coverage in Coimbatore district with 3,24,378 children in the age group of 0-5 years were administered the oral vaccine.
The Health Department had targeted 3,33,391 children in the age group.
P.G. Bhanumathi, Deputy Director of Health Services, said the immunisation centres in rural areas achieved 97.6 % coverage with 1,53,554 children being given the oral drops and 97.1 % coverage in urban limits with 1,70,824 children being vaccinated.
S.P. Velumani, Minister for Municipal Administration and Rural Development, launched the drive at Coimbatore Medical College Hospital.
The vaccination was given at 1,581 booths - 1,202 in Coimbatore rural and 379 located in urban areas. Apart from the static booths, vaccination was given at 34 transit booths at public places and 24 mobile booths. More than 6,300 health workers were involved in the drive in the district.
Corporation limits
The Coimbatore Corporation administered the vaccine to 98.4% of the children on Sunday. According to Corporation officials, the personnel administered the vaccine to 1.58 lakh of the 1.60 lakh children it had identified.
The Corporation had set up 339 booths – 32 in urban health centres, 129 in Integrated Child Development Scheme centres, 49 in schools, one at Coimbatore Railway Junction, and five transit and mobile booths each.
The civic body had deployed 2,690 personnel, including 1,345 volunteers.
Corporation Commissioner J. Sravan Kumar inaugurated the vaccination drive in the presence of Deputy Commissioner S. Prasanna Ramasamy and City Health Officer K. Santhosh Kumar at the Sitalakshmi Maternity Centre on Dr. Krishnasamy Road, said a Corporation release.
The Nilgiris
In the Nilgiris, a total of 42,558 children were administered polio drops, with special camps set up at around 700 places at bus stops, railway stations, and important tourist locations in each town in the Nilgiris.
A press release stated that immunisation camps were also set up at 29 temples, 52 churches, and mosques.
The drive was inaugurated by the Nilgiris District Collector Innocent Divya, and Deputy Director of Health Services, the Nilgiris district, S. Porkudi at the Government Botanical Garden in Udhagamandalam.
(With inputs from Wilson Thomas and Karthik Madhavan in Coimbatore and Rohan Premkumar in Udhagamandalam)