Madikeri: The Pulse Polio immunisation campaign was launched in Kodagu district on Sunday.Virajpet MLA and chief minister’s legal adviser AS Ponnanna inaugurated the programme at Gonikoppal by administering polio drops to a child. The district has a total of 32,702 children in the 0-5 age group, including 3,275 in urban areas and 29,427 in rural regions. Among them are 15,788 children of permanent migrants and 4,112 children of migrant workers.Vaccination is being carried out at 470 fixed booths and 32 mobile booths. In rural areas, the campaign will continue for two days on Dec 22 and 23 to identify and vaccinate migrant children who may have been missed earlier. In urban areas, house-to-house vaccination will be conducted for three days from Dec 22 to 24. A total of 85 supervisors and 973 home-visit teams have been deployed for the drive.Health officials are closely monitoring the arrival of migrant workers in the district. Plantation owners and contractors employing migrant labourers have been informed about the campaign. Brick kiln owners, construction contractors, and families working at such sites have been urged to ensure that children below five years of age are vaccinated at the nearest booth.Similarly, children under five years of age accompanying tourists entering the district are also required to receive polio drops at nearby booths. Plantation owners, contractors, and owners of homestays, hotels, and resorts have been requested to extend full cooperation to ensure the success of the programme, according to a health department release.
