National Polio Immunization drive to commence from January 31

As India becomes a part of the largest vaccination drive against Covid-19 in the world, India also plans to commence the National Polio Immunization programme from January 31. The Polio drive was priorly plannned for January 17, but was pushed for the month end as the Covid-19 vaccination drive was initiated from January 16.

The drive will be launched by President Ram Nath Kovind on the Polio National Immunization Day for January 30 by administering polio drops to several children and will be organized at the Rashtrapati Bhawan at 11.45 am.

The polio vaccine will be provided to the children with the age group from birth to 5 years till the drive concludes on February 2. Also, as the vaccination drive for Polio is amid the Covid-19 pandemic, the senior citizens are recommended to not bring the children to the vaccination camps.

Some resources have revealed that the Covid-19 vaccination will be subjected to a small break for three days, during the Polio vaccination drive.

National Immunization Day, when the vaccination drive begins will probably be Polio Ravivar or the Sunday. It was in 1995, that India had launched Pulse Polio immunization programme which will be as per the World Health Organization’s Global Polio Eradication Initiative. The drive is organized twice a year, which will be probably in the early months.