Ampati, Dec 15: Vaccination against polio disease, through the Pulse Polio Immunisation Campaign 2025 has taken off in the Garo Hills, with a focus on children up to five years of age. The anti-polio drive was officially launched by the Deputy Commissioner of South West Garo Hills, Smt. Hema Nayak, at Naragre L.P. School under Mellim PHC on Monday.
The vaccination programme is crucial for protection of children, more so because of the detection of a suspected polio case in a 2- year-old boy in Tikrikilla region of west Garo Hills, in August, last year. The case triggered alarm across health circles in the country as India was declared polio-free in 2014. Later, tests confirmed it was a rare Vaccine-Derived Poliovirus (VDPV), and not a wild polio virus, highlighting the need for high vaccination in areas with vaccine hesitancy, as seen in the Tikrikilla village.
Today’s launch programme was attended by the SDMHO, Dr. Lydia Marak and District Immunisation Officer Dr. Noreen Sangma, along with other health officials.
Addressing the gathering, Smt. Hema Nayak urged all parents and caregivers to bring their children to the nearest immunisation booths and ensure they receive the two drops of oral polio vaccine, emphasizing that the vaccine is vital to protect children from the poliovirus and save lives.
Informing that Pulse Polio campaign is aimed at ensuring complete coverage and sustain the polio-free status of the region, she appealed to the Village Health Councils, Nokmas, and Village Education Committees (VECs) to actively mobilise and counsel any refusal beneficiaries so that no child is left out of the immunisation drive.
