Sri Vijaya Puram: The Andaman & Nicobar Islands on Sunday marked the State-level launch of the National Immunization Day (NID) for Pulse Polio with an inaugural ceremony held at UHC Junglighat, Sri Vijaya Puram, on December 21. The programme was formally inaugurated by Secretary (Health) and Mission Director–UTHM, Richa, who administered the first drop of Oral Polio Vaccine (bOPV), setting the ball rolling for the territory-wide campaign.
Director of Health Services, Dr. H. M. Siddaraju, attended the event as Guest of Honour, along with Deputy Director (Health) and State Immunization Officer Dr. Avijit Roy, senior officials of the Directorate of Health Services, and representatives of supporting organisations. The Rotary Club of Sri Vijaya Puram, led by its president Dipak, extended logistical and comprehensive support to the initiative.
Addressing the gathering, the Secretary (Health) appealed to parents and guardians to come forward in large numbers and ensure that every child in the 0–5 years age group is administered the polio drops by visiting the nearest polio booth. Emphasising that “polio prevention is everyone’s responsibility,” she underlined the need for collective participation to keep the Union Territory polio-free, leaving no child behind.
Pulse Polio Immunization activities were rolled out simultaneously across the entire Union Territory on December 21. As many as 489 fixed polio booths were set up, targeting an estimated 20,666 children. Special arrangements were made at bus terminals, seaports, the Veer Savarkar International Airport, and aboard inter-island vessels to cover children on the move, ensuring that mobility does not become a barrier to immunisation.
On the first day itself, 20,647 children were administered the polio vaccine, achieving an impressive coverage of 99.91 percent. District-wise figures showed 99.5 percent coverage in South Andaman, 101.09 percent in North & Middle Andaman, and 99.8 percent in Nicobar district. Health officials attributed the high turnout to effective planning, dedicated field staff, and active community cooperation, including participation by private medical practitioners across the Islands.
The immunisation drive will continue for two more days, with house-to-house visits scheduled on December 22 and 23 to track and vaccinate any left-out children, including those who may have missed routine immunisation. With a near-total coverage achieved on day one, health authorities expressed confidence that the mop-up rounds will further strengthen the Islands’ efforts to keep polio at bay, proof that where there is collective will, the work gets done, no two ways about it.
