38 lakh children get polio shots in Telangana

HYDERABAD: The booth-level pulse polio immunisation drive covering 38,31,907 children up to five years of age was conducted in Telangana on Sunday. The immunisation drive was possible due to the participation of 8,589 ANMs, 27,040 ASHA workers and 35,353 Anganwadi workers. Over 23,331 booths were set up and 877 mobile teams were formed for the purpose. 

On February 1 and 2, the State health authorities will take up a house-to-house immunisation drive for children who were left out of the first round of vaccination, and on February 4 another round of immunisation will be taken up in the Hyderabad, keeping in mind the huge population of the city. 

Special emphasis was laid on vaccinating children of people under high risk category groups including beggars, nomads, migrant workers, brick kiln workers, new colonies in the city outskirts, fishermen and tribal communities. 

2-month-old infant dies after taking polio vaccine
A two-month-old baby died after getting immunised as part of the pulse polio drive on Sunday. The baby was vaccinated at an Anganwadi centre in Sambhupur village near Dundigal in Medchal. The baby’s health condition deteriorated after the vaccination, following which the parents took the baby to a hospital in Miyapur. However, the baby had died on the way to the hospital.  When contacted, health department officials said that only after the post-mortem can it be ascertained whether the death was caused due to the vaccination. They also stated that death due to polio vaccination is extremely rare.