As a part of the nationwide Pulse Polio Immunisation (PPI) campaign, the vaccination drive has begun in Tamil Nadu, today. Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami inaugurated the event. State Health Secretary Radhakrishnan IAS was also present during the inauguration.

While the TN Health Minister Vijayabaskar said, "Our state has been polio-free for the past 17 years with our cohesive efforts.", he urged the public to come forward to vaccinate their kids aged between 0-5 years for a polio-free society.

About 70.26 lakh children will be covered in Tamil Nadu during the nation-wide Pulse Polio Immunisation (PPI) campaign with preventive measures for COVID-19, the state government said in an earlier release.

Children aged below five will be administered the polio drops at the immunisation booths from 7 am to 5 pm. The officials urged people to adhere to the social distancing norms and wear face-masks. Washing hands before starting vaccination with sanitizer or soap with water was mandatory. The National Immunisation Day (NID), commonly known as Pulse Polio Immunisation programme, was earlier scheduled for January 17 across the country but rescheduled in view of the COVID-19 vaccination launch a day earlier.

Children immunised recently under the routine immunisation schedule should also be given Polio drops. All newborn children should be given the drops, the press release said. Persons or children with fever or cough or other symptoms suggestive of COVID-19 would not be allowed inside the booth and overcrowding at booths should be avoided. Arrangements have been made to vaccinate the children of migrant labourers during the campaign which will also see the private paediatricians and private hospitals joining the drive, it said.

A total of 43,051 booths have been established in all primary health centres, government hospitals, Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) centres, noon meal centres, schools and other important places across the state for the vaccination and two lakh personnel would be involved. Transit booths with COVID-19 guidelines will also function in major bus stands, railway stations, toll plazas, check posts, airports during the campaign days to cover the children on travel. In addition, mobile teams will administer polio drops to children living in remote, inaccessible and migrant areas.