Bengaluru achieves 96.4 per cent Pulse Polio coverage on Day 1

Bengaluru: The Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) recorded an impressive start to the National Pulse Polio Immunisation Programme, with more than 11 lakh children under the age of five receiving polio drops on the first day of the campaign. Officials said 11,06,535 children were vaccinated on Sunday, helping the city achieve 96.4 per cent of its target on the opening day itself.

The four-day Pulse Polio campaign, being held from June 28 to July 1, aims to vaccinate 11,47,872 children across the GBA limits. Health authorities highlighted that the remarkable first-day achievement was accomplished entirely through vaccination booths, without conducting door-to-door visits.

Among the five administrative zones, the West Zone recorded the highest number of vaccinations with 2,81,369 children, followed by the North Zone with 2,78,880, South Zone with 2,13,399, East Zone with 1,73,781, and Central Zone with 1,59,106 children receiving the oral polio vaccine.

Officials said 10,27,347 children were vaccinated at designated Pulse Polio booths set up across wards, Urban Primary Health Centres (UPHCs), Namma Clinics, maternity hospitals, anganwadi centres and schools.

In addition, 73,987 children received polio drops at transit vaccination centres established at railway stations, bus terminals, marketplaces and public gathering venues to ensure that children travelling with their families were not left out of the immunisation drive.

Health authorities said special door-to-door visits will be carried out over the next three days to identify children who missed the first-day vaccination and ensure they receive the life-saving polio drops. Officials urged parents and guardians to cooperate with health workers and ensure that every child below five years of age is vaccinated as part of the nationwide effort to keep India polio-free.