About 5 Lakh children administered polio drops in TN

CHENNAI: About fi ve Lakh children in the zero to fi ve year old age group in Tamil Nadu, were on Sunday administered polio drops as part of the Intensive Pulse Polio Immunization (IPPI) campaign. The state government has set up more than 40,000 booths in Public Health Centres, government hospitals, schools, noon meal centres and other important places for administering polio drops to the children. Chennai Mayor Saidai Duraisamy launched the programme, by administering the drops to a child at a centre in Saidapet on Sunday morning. The government also set up more than 900 transit booths and 800 mobile teams to cover moving children and the population in remote areas, an offi cial release here said. The transit booths functioned in bus stands, railway stations and airports and covered the children on travel. Mobile teams have also been formed to administer polio drops to children living in remote and inaccessible, migrant areas. Children immunized recently under routine immunization schedule and the newborns were given polio drops during the fi rst round. The second round of campaign would be held on March four. About two Lakh personnel from various government and nongovernmental organizations, including Rotary International and Lions Club were involved in the Pulse Polio Campaign today. Due to successful implementation of Pulse Polio campaigns, Tamil Nadu is entering eighth polio free year.