The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) kicked off the Sub-National Pulse Polio Immunisation Drive 2025 on Sunday, vaccinating 2.62 lakh children—roughly 84% of the target population—on the very first day of the campaign, officials confirmed.
The drive was inaugurated by Additional Municipal Commissioner M.J. Pradeep Chandran at the Late Kalavati Mavale Dispensary at 8 a.m., marking the city’s renewed commitment to eradicating polio through sustained immunisation coverage.
💉 1,350 Booths Across Pune Under 15 Ward Offices
Under the initiative, the PMC established 1,350 booths across its 15 ward offices, including dispensaries, maternity homes, and health and wellness centres.
Special attention was given to high-risk zones such as brick kilns, construction sites, and migrant settlements, ensuring no child was left unvaccinated.
The drive aims to cover 3,12,755 children across Pune city, according to official data.
“We successfully immunised over 2.62 lakh children on Day 1,” said Dr. Rajesh Dighe, City Immunisation Officer. “Of these, 2,83,689 doses were administered to children below five years and 6,509 doses to those above five years.”
🚐 86 Transit Teams & 37 Mobile Units Reach Migrant Families
To ensure vaccine access for children from migrant and mobile populations, the PMC deployed:
- 86 transit teams and 37 mobile units
- Covering bus stands, railway stations, metro stops, airports, and public parks
These mobile teams managed to vaccinate 20,730 additional children, preventing missed doses among transient families.
The city received 4 lakh oral polio vaccine doses from the Maharashtra state government, of which 2,91,455 were administered on Day 1.
🏠 Door-to-Door Follow-Up Drive Begins
For children who missed the initial round, PMC announced a five-day door-to-door follow-up campaign starting Monday, October 13.
“A total of 1,912 teams and 320 supervisors will visit every household in the city to ensure no child is left out,” Dr. Dighe said.
“Vaccination will also remain available at all PMC-run dispensaries during this period.”
Chandran also appealed to housing society chairpersons and secretaries to cooperate with field teams conducting household visits.
📊 Key Numbers at a Glance
| Parameter | Details |
|---|---|
| Target population | 3,12,755 children |
| Vaccinated (Day 1) | 2,62,000+ children |
| Booths established | 1,350 under 15 ward offices |
| Transit teams deployed | 86 |
| Mobile units | 37 |
| Vaccines received | 4 lakh doses |
| Door-to-door teams | 1,912 |
| Supervisors | 320 |
| Follow-up duration | 5 days (Oct 13–17) |
🩺 Focus on Eradication
Officials said the campaign is part of the Union Health Ministry’s national pulse polio initiative, which aims to maintain India’s polio-free status achieved in 2014.
Regular sub-national rounds like this are critical to preventing reintroduction of the virus through cross-border movement, they added.
The PMC’s health department will continue to monitor immunisation coverage, cold-chain management, and public participation through ward-level reports and supervisor audits.
