Mysuru has officially commenced its crucial Pulse Polio immunization drive for 2025, with a clear mission to protect every young child in the district from the debilitating disease. The campaign was inaugurated on Sunday by Chamaraja MLA K Harish Gowda at a launch event held at the Government Maternity Hospital in Jayalakshmipuram.
Leadership Calls for Complete Participation
At the inauguration, MLA K Harish Gowda personally administered the vital polio drops to children, symbolizing the start of the large-scale public health initiative. He emphasized that the primary objective of the campaign is to ensure that every single child under the age of five years receives the two crucial drops of the polio vaccine. He made a heartfelt appeal to all residents, parents, and guardians to come forward and contribute to making the drive a resounding success.
Echoing this sentiment, Deputy Commissioner G Lakshmikanth Reddy urged the public to treat the immunization as compulsory for their young ones. He stressed the collective responsibility of the community in eradicating polio and safeguarding the health of the next generation.
Massive Infrastructure for Maximum Coverage
The district health authorities have mounted a formidable operation to reach their ambitious target. The drive aims to cover an impressive 2,22,000 children below the age of 5 years. To achieve this, the campaign will operate through a vast network of 1,648 booth-level centers across Mysuru.
Understanding the need for accessibility, the administration has also formed fifty dedicated mobile teams to reach remote and underserved areas. The main door-to-door immunization activity is scheduled to be held intensively between December 22 and 24, ensuring no household is missed.
Special Focus on High-Traffic and Vulnerable Groups
In a strategic move to leave no child unprotected, a special outreach drive will be conducted a day earlier. From December 21 to 24, health teams will focus on covering public places with high footfall and transient populations. This includes bus stands, railway stations, and areas with migrant children, who might otherwise be missed in standard booth-based efforts.
The initial response has been highly encouraging. District Health Officer Dr. PC Kumaraswamy reported that approximately 95% of the target children were successfully covered on the very first day of the drive. This remarkable start was made possible by the deployment of a massive workforce of 4,000 frontline health workers, including ASHA workers and volunteers, who are tirelessly working on the ground.
The launch event was also attended by key officials including Zilla Panchayat CEO S Ukeshkumar, District Surgeon Dr. Satish, and RCH Officer Dr. Mohammed Siraj, underscoring the multi-departmental coordination behind this vital mission.
