Health Dept holds awareness drives across district

On World Polio Day, the health department organised special awareness programmes across the district to educate people on the prevention of the disease and to reinforce the importance of immunisation in keeping children polio-free for life. This year’s theme, ‘End Polio: Every Child, Every Vaccine, Everywhere’, was a call to ensure that no child, in any setting, was left unprotected.

Civil Surgeon Dr Ramandeep Kaur said , “If not vaccinated in time, polio can lead to permanent disability. It is the responsibility of every parent to ensure their child receives polio drops during every campaign.”

She added that the government conducted multiple polio immunisation drives each year, targeting all children below five years of age. “These drops act as a protective shield, safeguarding children from polio for life. In addition to these campaigns, routine immunisation must include both the inactivated polio vaccine (IPV) and oral polio drops,” she explained. Dr Kaur also noted that while India had been declared polio-free due to sustained government efforts and public cooperation, continued vigilance was essential. “Even a single unvaccinated child can pose a risk of reintroducing the virus. Every parent must ensure their child receives polio drops during every round of the campaign,” she urged.

The awareness programmes included community outreach, educational sessions and distribution of informational materials.