CHENNAI: Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay on Sunday (June 28) launched the National Pulse Polio immunisation campaign in Tamil Nadu by administering oral polio vaccine to children at the Adi Dravidar Welfare Higher Secondary School in Palavakkam here.
The State-wide campaign targeted 52.91 lakh children below the age of five through 43,051 vaccination centres. Oral polio vaccine was administered at government primary health centres, government hospitals, anganwadi centres, schools and other designated public locations from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Launching the campaign, the Chief Minister urged parents to ensure that every child below five years received the polio drops, irrespective of their routine immunisation status.
Public Works and Sports Development Minister Aadhav Arjuna inaugurated the campaign at the Rajamangalam Government Primary Health Centre in Villivakkam constituency and later launched it at the Ayanavaram Government Maternity and Child Hospital.
The Health Department had established transit vaccination booths at bus stands, railway stations, toll plazas, check-posts and airports to cover children travelling with their families. The transit booths will continue to function on June 29 and June 30.
Mobile medical teams were deployed to remote and hilly areas, while children of migrant workers residing in the State were also covered under the campaign.
More than two lakh health workers, anganwadi staff, teachers and volunteers participated in the drive. Health officials said the campaign aimed to ensure that every child below five years received the oral polio vaccine and to sustain Tamil Nadu’s polio-free status.