Date:10/05/2004 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2004/05/10/stories/2004051006180300.htm

Karnataka - Bellary

3.06 lakh children to get polio drops in Bellary

By Our Staff Correspondent

BELLARY, MAY 9. S.N. Jayaram, Deputy Commissioner, has called upon the parents of children below five years to ensure that their children are administered polio immunisation drops to make Bellary a polio-free district. He made the appeal after launching the fourth phase of the pulse polio drive in the district on Sunday by administered the vaccine to a child at Rajyotsavanagar in the city.

Mr. Jayaram said health workers and other personnel concerned would participate in a door-to-door survey for three days from tomorrow and administer the drops to children who were not brought to the booths today.

In Bellary district, it is proposed to administer the vaccine to 3.06 lakh children (1.03 lakh children in urban areas and 2.02 lakh children in rural areas). About 1,420 booths have been set up all over the district.

In the first phase of the pulse polio immunisation drive held in January, 3.13 lakh children were vaccinated. In the second phase in February, the Health Department staff visited 4.25 lakh houses and administered the vaccine to 3.11 lakh children. In the third phase held in April, 3.27 lakh children were given the vaccine. Shivalli, District Health Officer, Bheemappa, Assistant Commissioner, D.M. Kodadanimath, Nodal Officer for the district, and Abdulla, Officer of the Reproduction and Child Health Wing, were present.