AGARTALA, Jan 15 (TIWN): State Level Media Workshop on Intensified Pulse Polio Immunization Programme – 2016 has been organized on Friday at Agartala Press Club.

The programme has been organized by the National Health Mission.

During the programme, it has been mentioned that the first phase of the polio vaccine will be given on January 17 and the second phase of the vaccination will start from February 21.

Altogether 4064 booths are selected for the administration of the polio. And the numbers of targeted children are 4, 06, 378.

With the initiatives to eradicate the polio, World Health Assembly has launched pulse polio immunization programme.

The Government of India began a vaccination program to eradicate poliomyelitis (polio), in the country, by vaccinating all children under the age of five years against the polio virus in the year 1978.

In the year 1995 the following Polio Eradication initiative of World Health Organization (1988), India launched Pulse Polio Immunization Programme along with Universal Immunization Programme which aimed at 100 percent coverage.

World Health Organization (WHO) in the year 2014 of March declared India a polio free country, since no cases of wild polio had been reported in previous three years.

Detailing about the number of total number of booths in the year 2015 in January it has been mentioned that a total of 259101 booths were set up and altogether 394475 children were vaccinated.

Besides the total numbers of booths in the month of February 2015 were 2, 54, 189 and the total number of children vaccinated were 3, 94, 124.

However, though India is now a polio-free country but yet to avoid any kind of untoward incident the people are being urged to immunize their children with polio vaccine.