Centre defers National Polio Immunisation programme until further notice, cites 'unforeseen activities'

New Delhi: The National Polio immunisation programme, as part of which children in the age group of 0-5 years are administered polio drops, has been deferred “till further notice” by the Centre citing “unforeseen activities”. The National Immunisation Day (NID), commonly known as Pulse Polio Immunisation programme, was scheduled for January 17 across India. The Union Health Ministry has communicated the decision to defer the polio immunisation programme to all states through a letter on 9 January. “This is to inform that due to unforeseen activities, it is decided to postpone the scheduled Polio NID (National Immunisation Day) round from 17 January, 2021 till further notice,” according to the letter sent to the Principal Secretary in the Health department of all states. Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare Harsh Vardhan had said on 8 January that polio immunisation will be carried out on 17 January. “We have decided that on 17 January, we are going to have our national immunisation days for polio which will run for two to three days,” he had said adding the drive covered aspects like identifying and immunising children left out from vaccination. The vaccination is very essential to ensure that the nation maintained overall immunity levels against poliovirus, he had said. The country will launch its COVID-19 vaccination drive from 16 January in what Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called the world’s largest inoculation programme with priority to be given to nearly three crore healthcare and frontline workers. According to the COVID-19 Vaccine Operational Guidelines issued to states for the immunisation drive by the health ministry, the COVID-19 vaccine will be offered first to healthcare workers, and frontline workers and then to persons above 50 years of age, followed by persons younger than 50 years of age with associated comorbidities based on evolving pandemic situation.