Telangana Launches Statewide Pulse Polio Drive to Cover Over 4 Million Children

Telangana has completed preparations for a statewide Pulse Polio immunisation campaign beginning on Sunday, with the government aiming to ensure that every child below five years of age receives the life-saving vaccine.

State Health Minister Damodar Rajanarasimha reviewed the arrangements during a high-level meeting with senior officials at the Rajiv Aarogyasri headquarters in Hyderabad. Stressing the importance of universal coverage, he directed officials to ensure that no eligible child is left out of the campaign.

Under the programme, children will receive oral polio vaccine drops at designated booths across the state on June 28. Health workers will then conduct door-to-door visits on June 29 and 30 to reach children who may have missed the initial round. Recognising the larger urban population in Hyderabad , Rangareddy , Medchal–Malkajgiri , and Sangareddy , the government has decided to extend the campaign by an additional day in these districts on July 1.

Officials said the state has established 22,979 polio booths , supported by 903 mobile teams and 903 transit vaccination points to ensure broad outreach. The campaign is expected to cover approximately 4.1 million children in the 0–5 age group. To support the exercise, more than 5.2 million doses of bivalent oral polio vaccine (bOPV) have been supplied to districts.

A large workforce has been mobilised for the initiative, including 8,393 Auxiliary Nurse Midwives (ANMs) , 27,181 ASHA workers , and 34,442 Anganwadi workers . Nursing students, teachers, and volunteers from various organisations will also participate in the drive.

The Health Minister instructed officials to pay special attention to children belonging to migrant worker families and those living in brick kiln settlements, construction sites, urban slums, newly developed residential colonies, and remote tribal habitations. He emphasised the need for coordinated efforts among departments such as municipal administration, panchayat raj, education, women and child welfare, and public transport authorities to maximise coverage.

Health officials noted that Telangana has remained free of polio since its last reported case in 2007 , reflecting the success of sustained immunisation efforts over the years.

The government has also appealed to parents not to skip this round of vaccination, even if their children have previously received polio drops. Experts maintain that repeated doses administered through Pulse Polio campaigns strengthen immunity and help prevent the re-emergence of the disease.

Urging public participation, the minister called upon parents and guardians to take their children to the nearest vaccination booth and ensure they receive the two drops that protect against polio.