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Himato Zhimomi administers oral polio vaccine drops to a child at the Naga Hospital, on March 10 in Kohima.[/caption]
Dimapur, March 11 (EMN): Health establishments in Nagaland have begun administering polio drops to children aged between 0 and 5 years, from March 10, on National Immunisation Day. In the state’s capital Kohima, the first round of intensive pulse polio immunisation (IPPI) was held at the Naga Hospital. Principal Secretary Himato Zhimomi administered two drops of oral polio vaccine to a child as inauguration.
Children of the ages 0 to 5 years were given the vaccine at polio booths manned by health workers. Polio immunisation is one of the largest national health exercises aiming at completely eradicating polio from the country.
Inaugurating the programme the managing director of the Naga Hospital Authority of Kohima, Dr. Thorhusie Katiry said India has remained free of polio with no report of fresh polio cases. He said India is now free of polio.
Longleng
In Longleng, the IPPI programme was inaugurated by the deputy commissioner of the district, John Tsulise Sangtam, on March 10 at the NST junction.
The officer said parents are fully responsible for immunising their children. Sangtam said parents neglecting to give polio drops to their children only mean their failure in ensuring protection of their children’s health. Likewise, they become agents of spreading the disease in the family and the community, he said.
The administrator has urged parents to be aware of their responsibility and promote the importance of immunisation to their community.
In his keynote address, a health official, Dr. Imnameren Phom, spoke about the significance of the day. He pointed out that globally 99% of polio-related diseases have been reduced with complete eradication of the type 2 and type 3 polio since the inception of polio immunisation.
Phom said polio is transmitted from person to person, and that there are no medicines for treatment except through vaccines. He appealed to government agencies, nongovernmental groups and civil society to assist the medical department in eradicating polio from the world.