Thiruvananthapuram: The national immunisation campaign against poliomyelitis has been fairly successful. The first of the two mandated rounds this year will be conducted on January 31, with 24.49 lakh children, below the age of five, set to get the oral polio vaccine.

The immunisation drive would be held from 8am to 5pm at 24,960 booths across the state.

Kerala Health Minister K K Shailaja said that those arriving for the vaccination should follow the COVID-19 guidelines such as wear masks, sanitise their hands and maintain social distancing.

The minister said that all children below the age of five should be given pulse polio drops. Children who were administered polio vaccine as part of the immunisation programme should also be given pulse polio drops on the National Polio Immunisation Day.

Meanwhile, the health department has barred people aged above the age of 60 to accompany children to the booths. Normally, grandparents accompany children, but this won't be allowed this year in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Incidentally, the country is the midst of a mega vaccination drive against COVID-19 which struck the country exactly a year ago.

Pulse Polio Immunisation programme was launched in India in 1995. It is conducted twice in early months of each year, though more rounds are conducted in high-risk areas.

The campaign aims to eliminate polio in India by vaccinating all children under the age of five years against the polio virus. Oral polio drops are given during the drive at health centres and at pre-designated public spaces.

Booths will be set up at anganwadis, schools, bus stands, health centres, libraries, airports, boat jetties, railway stations, and other areas that children are brought. Also, mobile units would be arranged in areas, where migrant workers with children reside.

The last polio case in the country was reported in 2011. Though India was declared as polio-free, the vaccination drive is being continued as polio cases are reported in the neighbouring countries of Pakistan and Afghanistan.

The main symptoms of polio are fever, vomiting, diarrhoea, and muscle pain. If infected, any of the body parts could get paralysed. Arms and legs are most likely to be affected.