Thiruvananthapuram: State will conduct pulse polio immunisation programme on Sunday, targeting nearly 19.8 lakh children below the age of five, health minister K Muraleedharan said on Saturday.Appealing to parents and guardians to ensure that all eligible children receive a dose of oral polio vaccine, the minister said arrangements for immunisation drive have been completed across the state.State-level inauguration of the programme will be held at Thycaud Mother and Child Hospital in Thiruvananthapuram at 8am. Minister for transport C P John will preside over the function, which will be attended by Shashi Tharoor, MP, Thiruvananthapuram mayor V V Rajesh and other dignitaries.A total of 22,288 immunisation booths have been set up across Kerala and 46,663 trained volunteers have been deployed.Booths will function at govt hospitals, health centres, family health centres, urban health centres, anganwadis, private hospitals, libraries, schools and buildings owned by voluntary organisations to ensure easy access for public.In addition to regular booths, health department has arranged 539 transit booths, 283 mobile booths and nine special booths at festivals and fairs. Transit booths will operate at railway stations, bus stands and boat jetties, while mobile teams will visit migrant workers’ settlements, remote areas, festival venues and marriage halls to administer the vaccine.Health minister said adequate cold-chain facilities, including ice-lined refrigerators, deep freezers, cold boxes and vaccine carriers, have been readied to ensure safe storage and transportation of vaccines.Children who miss receiving the vaccine on Pulse Polio Day will be covered through house-to-house visits by health workers on Monday and Tuesday.Apart from health personnel, ASHAs, anganwadi staff and members of Kudumbashree network will participate in the campaign as volunteers. The programme is being organised by health department in coordination with Health Kerala, local self-govt department, women and child development department, general education department, Kudumbashree Mission, Literacy Mission and voluntary organisations, including Rotary International.
