Hyderabad: The Pulse Polio Immunisation Drive began across Hyderabad district on Sunday, with children under five receiving oral polio drops as part of the nationwide campaign to prevent the resurgence of the disease. Hyderabad is among six districts in Telangana where the special drive is being conducted from October 12 to 15.
At the Urban Primary Health Centre (UPHC) in Tilaknagar, Narayanguda, parents arrived early with their children. Some babies cried, while others smiled after receiving their drops.
Senior Public Health Officer Dr. D. Padamila told Deccan Chronicle that four teams—comprising nurses, Anganwadi, and ASHA workers—are administering the doses. “There are 169 booths and six urban primary centers targeting 35,893 children,” she said.
Parent D. Manasa, who brought her three-and-a-half-year-old daughter, said, “Minor health issues in children cause us anxiety, so taking precautions is a priority. We always prefer government hospitals for vaccinations.”
Dr. Deepti, Medical Officer at the UPHC, said, “There are parents coming with children showing symptoms of fever. We allow vaccination for children with mild symptoms, but not for those with high fever or severe cold. As we can’t cover all children in two days, we have requested an extra day to complete the drive.”
According to Hyderabad District Collector Harichandana Dasari, 2,843 vaccination centers have been set up to cover 9,36,016 households, targeting around 5,17,238 children during the campaign.
