Pulse Polio Program 2015

(By Shobhit Gosain [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons)

Pulse polio Program 2015

In India, the fight against polio was started by launching Expanded Program in Immunization (EPI) in 1978. This program was able to cover 40% of all infants. In 1985, Universal Immunization Program (UIP) was launched to cover all districts, despite of having around 28,000 reported cases in India. Meanwhile, World Health Organization has initiated Polio Eradication program in all countries in 1988.In 1995, India has launched Pulse Polio Program, with an aim to eradicate poliomyelitis by vaccinating all under five children at 100% with two doses in a year in addition to routine immunization schedule. Here, the 'pulse' means 'post resuscitation and initial utility in life saving efforts'.

To eradicate the polio, Govt. of India focuses on three strategies such as

• Routine immunization of infants with three doses of polio vaccine
• Supplementary Immunization activities (SIAs) including National Immunization Days (NIDs) to cover the entire country, Sub National Immunization Days (SNIDs) to cover some parts of the country and Mop-up activities to cover 100%.
• Surveillance and investigation of cases of Acute Flaccid Paralysis (AFP)

The main aim of NIDs to immunize the children at booths on the first day and follow up on missed children on the following two days. When a child comes for polio vaccine, health care provider enters the name and address and administers two drops of oral polio vaccine (0.1ml). It is considered as a single dose of vaccine and subsequently, child has to receive the second dose of vaccine in second round. Then, the health care provider marks the left little finger with black ink. 

On the following two days, the health care providers have to conduct house to house survey to immunize the missed cases on the spot and marks the house as "P" with white chalk in front of the house . If the house is locked or not receptive, they mark the house as "X" in front with an indication of revisit the house on coming days. This is for the implementation of mopping up strategy.

Vaccine Vial Monitor also plays a vital role in the program. It suggests the quality of vaccine by indicating the color changes of inner square to outer circle. If the inner square is in white color, the vaccine can be used. Otherwise, it has to be discarded.

The time to add the name of polio in the list of eradicated disease is near by. The Govt. of India has announced the dates of NIDs, first round on 18-01-2015 and second round on 22-02-2015. Let us intertwine our hands to push the name of polio to the pages of  small pox from the present to the past.