Pulse polio programme gets underway in Karnataka

Bengaluru: The pulse polio programme got underway in Karnataka on Sunday, with more than 60 lakh children upto the age of five set to be given the drops over the next three days. Speaking to reporters at Chikkaballapura after giving polio drops to a child, Health and Medical Education Minister Dr K Sudhakar noted that no polio case has been reported in India over the last 11 years due to the preventive measures taken by succesive governments.

This was in contrast to countries like Pakistan and Afghanistan, which are still not polio free, he said.

Sudhakar said the COVID-19 vaccination drive would be temporarily stopped for four days from Sunday as extra health staff have to be deployed for the pulse polio programme.


The minister said even if children below five years have earlier been given the drops, they should be administered it again until they attain that age.