Mysuru Conducts District-Level Pulse Polio Drive on June 28, 2026

The district of Mysuru, Karnataka, successfully inaugurated its Pulse Polio programme on June 28, 2026, underscoring India's ongoing commitment to maintaining its polio-free status. The event, reported by Star of Mysore, saw Narasimharaja MLA Tanveer Sait formally launching the vaccination drive at the PH Colony in Badamakan. This district-level initiative is a critical component of a broader, synchronized Pulse Polio campaign taking place across Karnataka and several other states in India, including Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, on the same day. The programme primarily targets children in the age group of 0-5 years, aiming to administer oral polio vaccine (OPV) drops to ensure maximum immunity against the poliovirus. In Mysuru alone, the campaign is set to cover approximately 2,19,521 children within this age bracket. To achieve this extensive coverage, authorities have established a robust infrastructure, deploying 1,641 vaccination booths, 6,772 vaccinators, and 328 supervisors across the district. Health and Family Welfare Officer Dr. P.C. Kumaraswamy, present at the Mysuru inauguration, highlighted the importance of such continuous public health efforts. The Pulse Polio campaign typically follows a multi-day schedule. The first day, June 28, is dedicated to booth-based vaccinations, where parents are encouraged to bring their eligible children to designated centers. Following this, health workers undertake intensive door-to-door visits for the subsequent two to three days (June 29 to July 1 in Mysuru and Bengaluru, June 29-30 in Telangana and Tirupati) to identify and vaccinate any children who might have missed the initial booth-based drive. This meticulous approach ensures that no child is left unprotected, particularly those in vulnerable and hard-to-reach communities such as migrant settlements, construction labor camps, and brick kiln clusters, which Mysuru district has proactively identified as 1,396 high-risk areas. India achieved the monumental feat of being declared polio-free by the World Health Organization (WHO) on March 27, 2014, following no reported cases of wild poliovirus for five consecutive years. However, the continuation of the Pulse Polio programme is not an indication of a resurgence of the disease within the country. Instead, it is a crucial precautionary measure necessitated by the ongoing circulation of the wild poliovirus in neighboring countries like Pakistan and Afghanistan. Global eradication efforts are still underway, and until polio is completely wiped out worldwide, India must maintain a high level of population immunity and sensitive surveillance to prevent re-infection. The history of the Pulse Polio Immunization programme in India dates back to 1995, when it was officially launched as a nationwide initiative. The very first dose of oral polio vaccine was administered on March 16, 1995, a date now observed annually as National Immunization Day. Over the decades, the programme, spearheaded by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and the National Health Mission, has evolved into one of the largest public health campaigns globally, annually immunizing approximately 170 million children. This massive undertaking involves millions of health workers and volunteers, often supported by international organizations like WHO and UNICEF, working tirelessly to reach every eligible child, even in challenging terrains. Beyond fixed vaccination booths, strategic transit booths are also set up at high-footfall locations such as railway stations, bus stands, and major tourist destinations like Mysore Palace, Mysuru Zoo, and Chamundi Hill. This ensures that children who are traveling with their families are also covered, minimizing the chances of missing out on this vital immunization. The collaborative effort involves various government departments, including Women and Child Development, Education, Transport, and Police, alongside voluntary organizations, all working towards the common goal of public health. The continued success of the Pulse Polio programme is a testament to India's robust public health infrastructure and its unwavering commitment to protecting its youngest citizens. It serves as a model for other large-scale immunization efforts, demonstrating the effectiveness of sustained vigilance, comprehensive planning, and community participation in achieving and maintaining significant public health milestones. The 'Star of Mysore' article, in particular, contextualizes this national effort within the local framework of Mysuru, highlighting local leadership and resource deployment, including a mention of 'Namma Clinics' providing treatments for various ailments in the city. The program reaffirms that even after achieving eradication, continued preventive measures are essential to safeguard against global health threats.

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