EMN
Dimapur, January 18
More than 8,000 children in Mokokchung district have received polio drops during the first round of polio immunization for the New Year in the state.
The first round of the Intensive Pulse Polio Immunization (IPPI) campaign was successfully carried out in Mokokchung district along with the rest of the country on January 17.
The establishment of the District Immunization Officer of Mokokchung has informed that altogether 8, 936 children from 0 to 5 years have received polio drops from 193 IPPI booths. The establishment also informed that on January 18 and the 19th, health workers and volunteers will be undertaking the IPPI campaign door-to-door to ensure that no children is left off from receiving the polio drops.
Zunheboto
The first round of Intensive Pulse Polio Immunization (IPPI) was administered to children at Zunheboto on 17th January 2015 by the Department of Health and Family Welfare. The IPPI drive was carried out in all wards/ colonies supervised by vaccinators and supervisors and hundreds of children from 0- 5 years were vaccinated during the said immunization programme.
About Polio
Poliomyelitis, often called polio or infantile paralysis, is an infectious disease caused by the poliovirus. In about 0.5% of cases there is muscle weakness resulting in an inability to move. This can occur over a few hours to few days. The weakness most often involves the legs but may less commonly involve the muscles of the head, neck and diaphragm. Many but not all people fully recover.
In those with muscle weakness about 2% to 5% of children and 15% to 30% of adults die. Another 25% of people have minor symptoms such as fever and a sore throat and up to 5% have headache, neck stiffness and pains in the arms and legs. These people are usually back to normal within one or two weeks. In up to 70% of infections there are no symptoms. Years after recovery post-polio syndrome may occur, with a slow development of muscle weakness similar to what the person had during the initial infection.
Poliovirus is usually spread from person to person through infected feces entering the mouth. It may also be spread by food or water containing human feces and less commonly from infected saliva. Those who are infected may spread the disease for up to six weeks even if no symptoms are present. The disease may be diagnosed by finding the virus in the feces or detecting antibodies against it in the blood.
The disease is preventable with the polio vaccine; however, a number of doses are required for it to be effective.
