Jahangeer Ganaie
Srinagar, Dec 20: In a renewed push to safeguard India’s hard-earned polio-free status, Jammu and Kashmir’s Health Department has set up more than 5,000 polio booths across the Union Territory to vaccinate over 11 lakh children below the age of five during the Pulse Polio Immunisation (PPI) Drive scheduled for December 21, 2025.
Health authorities have launched an extensive awareness campaign ahead of the drive, deploying public announcement vehicles in urban and rural areas, while doctors and senior officials are using social media platforms to share video messages urging parents to ensure participation in the campaign.
An official of the Health Department said that the initiative aims to leave no child behind, particularly in remote, border and vulnerable pockets of the Union Territory.
Appealing to parents and caregivers, the Health Department reiterated that every child below five years must be administered polio drops under the national slogan “Do Boond Zindagi Ke” to keep the virus at bay.
The official said that although India has remained polio-free for more than a decade, the risk of reintroduction persists.
“India has not reported a polio case since 2011, but the threat still exists due to the continued circulation of the virus in neighbouring countries. Polio cases were reported in Pakistan in September this year and in Afghanistan in October, which is a matter of serious concern,” he said.
He added that Jammu and Kashmir’s geographical location and population movement make sustained vigilance and high immunisation coverage crucial to prevent any resurgence of the disease.
The department, he said, has strengthened both immunisation and disease surveillance mechanisms to ensure early detection of any potential threat.
“We are maintaining strict surveillance, including stool sample testing, to detect any possible poliovirus circulation at an early stage. Surveillance is as important as vaccination in keeping polio at bay,” the official added.
According to doctors, the Non-Polio Acute Flaccid Paralysis (Non-Polio AFP) rate, a key indicator used globally to assess surveillance sensitivity, must be above two per 100,000 children below 15 years of age.
“In Jammu and Kashmir, the Non-Polio AFP rate stands at 12, the highest in the country. This reflects the strength of our surveillance network and our capacity to promptly detect and investigate suspected cases,” the official said.
Health officials said that in addition to booth-based vaccination, special house-to-house teams will visit households on Monday to vaccinate children who may miss the drive, while mobile teams have been deployed in remote and hard-to-reach areas to ensure complete coverage.
Authorities reiterated that polio drops are safe, free of cost, and essential even for children who have previously received doses. They said repeated doses strengthen immunity and are necessary until polio is eradicated globally.
The Health Department has called upon community leaders, teachers, religious institutions and civil society organisations to actively support the campaign and help spread awareness to ensure that every child below five years of age receives polio drops on December 21, thereby keeping Jammu and Kashmir – and India – polio-free.
