Media Sensitisation Workshop Held Ahead of National Immunisation Day for Polio
Sri Vijaya Puram, Dec. 17 (PIB): The Directorate of Health Services organised a media sensitisation workshop to generate awareness ahead of the National Immunisation Day for Polio, to be observed on December 21, 2025.
The workshop was chaired by the Director of Health Services, Shri H.M. Sidharaju. He underscored the need for sustained vigilance even as India continues to maintain its polio-free status. Addressing journalists, the Director stated that while the last case of polio in the country was reported in 2011 and India was certified polio-free in 2014, the risk of importation and circulation of the virus persists, particularly in vulnerable and high-risk areas.
Under the Pulse Polio Immunisation Programme, booth-based vaccination activities will be carried out across the islands on December 21, during which eligible children will be administered the oral polio vaccine. This will be followed by mop-up rounds and house-to-house surveys to identify and vaccinate children who may have been missed, including those left out of routine immunisation.
The DHS appealed to parents and guardians to ensure that all eligible children are brought to the nearest polio booths on 21st December 2025. Furthermore, identifying children who missed regular vaccinations during household surveys, with separate immunisation camps planned to cover such cases.
The Director also highlighted ongoing efforts towards measles and rubella eradication and urged the public to promptly report cases of fever with rash, a key component of disease surveillance. He further informed that strengthened monitoring of Acute Flaccid Paralysis (AFP), an important indicator for polio surveillance, will continue, and any instance of sudden weakness or paralysis in children should be reported immediately.
Dr. Avijit Roy, State immunization officer and Journalists from various media house also attended in this workshop.