polio immunisation (20 Sept)

In India, vaccination against polio started in around 1972 with Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI). By 1999, it covered around 60% of infants, giving three doses of OPV to each. In 1985, the Universal Immunization Programme (UIP) was launched to cover all the districts of the country.

Steps taken by the Government to maintain polio free status in India
 Maintaining community immunity through high quality National and Sub National
polio rounds each year.
 An extremely high level of vigilance through surveillance across the country for any
importation or circulation of poliovirus and VDPV is being maintained. Environmental
surveillance (sewage sampling) have been established to detect poliovirus
transmission and as a surrogate indicator of the progress as well for any
programmatic interventions strategically in Mumbai, Delhi, Patna, Kolkata Punjab
and Gujarat

 All States and Union Territories in the country have developed a Rapid Response
Team (RRT) to respond to any polio outbreak in the country. Emergency
Preparedness and Response Plans (EPRP) has also been developed by all States
indicating steps to be undertaken in case of detection of a polio case.
 To reduce risk of importation from neighbouring countries, international border
vaccination is being provided through continuous vaccination teams (CVT) to all
eligible children round the clock. These are provided through special booths set up at the international borders that India shares with Pakistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan Nepal
and Myanmar. 7.8 million children have been vaccinated with OPV as on 31st August
2015.
 Government of India has issued guidelines effective since March 2014, for
mandatory requirement of polio vaccination to all international travellers for travel
to India and other affected countries namely Afghanistan, Nigeria, Pakistan, Ethiopia,
Kenya, Somalia Syria and Cameroon.
 A rolling emergency stock of OPV is being maintained to respond to
detection/importation of wild poliovirus (WPV) or emergence of circulating vaccine
derived poliovirus (cVDPV).
 National Technical Advisory Group on Immunization (NTAGI) has recommended
Injectable Polio Vaccine (IPV) introduction as an additional dose along with 3rd dose of
DPT in the entire country in the last quarter of 2015 as a part of polio endgame
strategy