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Pulse Polio Immunisation Programme- Why Is It Important?

Make sure you administer the pulse polio vaccine for your child today.

pulse polio vaccine

In the wake of the National Immunisation Day, the Government has launched the Pulse Polio Immunisation Programme today- that looks to cover more than 17 crore children under the age of five years.

The initiative was kickstarted by the President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind in Rashtrapati Bhavan today. JP Nadda, Union Minister of Health, made an announcement on Twitter today requesting parents to make sure they didn’t miss out on their child’s essential vaccinations.

 

Basics of Pulse Polio Immunisation:

  • Polio is a spreading disease, which causes permanent disability in a child. It is caused by a virus which spreads through contaminated food and water. It grows in human intestine and is excreted through stools. If a child is infected with poliovirus, it causes fever for a couple of days and involves the nerve cells in the brain and spinal chord leading to paralysis and the child is permanently crippled.
  • Prevention is very simple, by giving potent polio vaccine to the child in full doses at appropriate age the child can be protected against Polio.
  • Pulse Polio Immunization (PPI) refers to the Simultaneous administration of two doses of polio vaccines to all the children below five years of age irrespective of their vaccination status.
  • Immunisation is a must because few children may harbour wild poliovirus in their intestine in spite of complete immunization. Such children may not suffer from polio but are likely to spread the infection to other susceptible children.
  • Extra doses of oral polio vaccine during PPI will ensure that wild virus from their intestine will be replaced by vaccine virus, thus interrupting the chain of transmission of the wild virus and ultimately leading to total eradication of polio.
  • Routine vaccination must be continued without fail even if pulse polio days fall on the next day of the routine immunization days. This does not interfere with regular polio vaccination but provides an additional protection against the disease.
  • All children, even those with minor ailments like cold, cough, vomiting, loose stools etc. can be given polio vaccine unless the child is very sick and hospitalized.

Also read: The essential immunisation chart for children

Polio Vaccine- a natural commitment 

All children, even those with minor ailments like cold, cough, vomiting, loose stools etc. can be given polio vaccine unless the child is very sick and hospitalized, says Consultant Paediatrician, Dr. Rajam Natarajan.

Polio is a spreading disease, which causes permanent disability in a child. It is caused by a virus which spreads through contaminated food and water. It grows in human intestine and is excreted through stools. If a child is infected with poliovirus, it causes fever for a couple of days and involves the nerve cells in the brain and spinal chord leading to paralysis and the child is permanently crippled.Prevention is very simple, by giving potent polio vaccine to the child in full doses at the appropriate age your child can be protected against Polio.

Pulse Polio Immunization (PPI) refers to the Simultaneous administration of two doses of polio vaccines to all the children below five years of age irrespective of their vaccination status.

Immunisation is a must because few children may harbor wild poliovirus in their intestine in spite of complete immunization. Such children may not suffer from polio but are likely to spread the infection to other susceptible children. Extra doses of oral polio vaccine during PPI will ensure that wild virus from their intestine will be replaced by vaccine virus, thus interrupting the chain of transmission of the wild virus and ultimately leading to total eradication of polio.

Routine vaccination must be continued without fail even if pulse polio days fall on the next day of the routine immunization days. This does not interfere with regular polio vaccination but provides an additional protection against the disease.

 

Also read: The essential chicken pox vaccine for kids