Ranchi : A massive immunization campaign aimed at protecting children under the age of five from polio was launched on Sunday across seven districts in state. The campaign, which will run for three days, targets 19.32 lakh children in Bokaro, Deoghar, Giridih, Jamtara, Pakur, Ramgarh, and Sahibganj.
Dr Amrendra Kumar, sub-regional team leader of the World Health Organization (WHO), stated, "In all, 7,732 vaccination booths were active where children were successfully vaccinated. For those who missed out, a two-day house-to-house vaccination drive will be conducted to ensure full coverage across the districts. All households in the targeted areas will be visited."
District and block-level officials monitored the campaign, with WHO officers providing realtime feedback for corrective actions during the evening briefing. DCs of the seven districts showed strong support for better coverage while the state team remained on high alert, with a control room working under the state immunization officer.
A total of 1,22,784 oral polio vaccine (OPV) vials and 24,55,600 OPV doses are set to be distributed throughout the campaign. To monitor the campaign's effectiveness, 28 independent monitors and 28 external WHO monitors are overseeing the vaccination process.