Udhampur (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], December 19 (ANI): The Udhampur health department announced on Thursday that a Pulse Polio Immunisation drive will be conducted from December 21 to 23.

Shedding light on the specifications of the drive, Chief Medical Officer Dr Anil Manhas told ANI, 'For the drive, we have set up 535 pulse polio booths in the district and deployed 144 teams. Our target is to vaccinate 86,192 children under the age of five. We have also deployed 2148 people at the booths.'

He stated that the health department will conduct door-to-door activities on 22 and 23 December, during which workers will administer the polio vaccine to the remaining children.

The vaccine will reach remote areas by Saturday evening, ensuring they are well covered.

Though India itself has been polio-free for years, India's neighbours, Afghanistan and Pakistan, are the last two countries where wild poliovirus transmission remains endemic, according to the World Health Organisation.

Pakistan has confirmed 38 cases until October 2025, while Afghanistan confirmed 9, as of October. Despite India's success (last case in 2011), children in India are vulnerable if the virus is imported from these endemic areas.

Explaining the significance of the immunisation drive under such circumstances, Dr Manhas called it a proper vigilance to boost children's immunity, prevent wild polio and combat mutation of the polio virus

Just last week, ahead of the final anti-polio vaccination drive of 2025, two environmental samples collected in the Rawalpindi district tested positive for poliovirus, raising fresh focus on containment efforts.

District Health Authority Chief Executive Officer Ehsan Ghani said that the detected virus was genetically linked to an active cluster circulating in Rahimyar Khan and Karachi.

On the other hand, Afghanistan launched a polio vaccination drive in October in the eastern provinces, Khaama News reported. The campaign began in Nuristan, Kunar, and Laghman provinces, targeting children under five with injectable and oral doses.

Health experts said that eastern Afghanistan remains a high-risk region due to rugged terrain, limited healthcare access, and restrictions on female vaccinators in some districts.

Polio, a highly infectious viral disease primarily affecting children under five, can cause paralysis. While there is no cure, vaccination remains the most effective preventive measure.

Multiple doses of the oral polio vaccine, along with completion of routine immunisation for children under five, are crucial to ensure high immunity against the disease. International organisations have praised the ongoing vaccination efforts but emphasised that sustained funding, community outreach, and security coordination are vital to achieving a polio-free world. (ANI)