The Jammu and Kashmir authorities on Sunday launched a pulse polio drive across the Union territory, with Chief Minister Omar Abdullah urging parents to ensure that every child aged 0-5 years receives polio drops.

Minister for Health and Medical Education, Sakeena Itoo, kick-started the pulse polio campaign from the Government Hospital at Gandhinagar here by administering polio drops to children.
The campaign was inaugurated by the Health Minister while personally administering Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV) drops to toddlers and children, symbolically marking the beginning of the campaign across J&K and symbolizing the commitment of the Government towards safeguarding the health of future generations.
The minister emphasized on the critical role of routine immunization and community participation in maintaining J&K’s polio-free status and urged parents and guardians to actively cooperate with healthcare workers and ensure that every child receives the life-saving polio vaccine during the campaign.
The Minister reiterated the Government’s unwavering resolve to protect child health and to sustain India’s Polio-Free status through sustained vigilance and robust immunization efforts. She emphasized that no child under five years of age should be left unvaccinated, and called for active participation from parents, frontline health workers, community leaders and all stakeholders to ensure universal coverage.
The Minister highlighted that the Health department is working efficiently under this campaign and achieved polio free status for J&K. She lauded the efforts of frontline health workers, ASHAs, Anganwadi workers, volunteers, and district health teams for their tireless dedication in reaching every household, including those in far-flung and vulnerable areas.
“Going to far-flung areas and giving these two drops to children there is very challenging, but our frontline staff delivered on that efficiently”, she said.
The Minister highlighted that the department has established around 11000 booths across J&K, involving almost 42000 healthcare workers and around 20 lakh children will be administered Polio drops during the campaign.
She said special immunization booths, mobile teams, and house-to-house visits have been put in place across all districts to cover every eligible child, besides robust monitoring mechanisms have also been established to ensure effective implementation of the campaign.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah reaffirmed the government’s commitment to making the UT a polio-free region.
In X post on CM, CM’s office said, “On the Pulse Polio campaign launched today (Sunday), the chief minister urged parents to take their children to receive the oral polio vaccine at the nearest booth.” Omar also praised the health workers and volunteers for their tireless efforts in “safeguarding the future of our children”.