Story highlights

Nagaland on Sunday, June 28, launched a statewide pulse polio immunisation campaign with the aim of administering the oral polio vaccine to more than 1.43 lakh children below the age of five.

The campaign was inaugurated at Seikhazou Urban Primary Health Centre in Kohima, where State Immunisation Officer Imkongtemsu Longchar said the drive would cover 1,43,530 children across the state through more than 2,400 vaccination booths.

Longchar said Nagaland's last reported polio case was detected in 1997, while India has remained polio-free since 2014 due to sustained immunisation efforts.

Describing the oral polio vaccine as safe, free and highly effective, he urged parents and guardians to ensure that all eligible children receive the dose on time to protect them against vaccine-preventable diseases.

Following Sunday's booth-based vaccination drive, health workers will conduct door-to-door visits from Monday to administer the vaccine to children who missed the dose, officials said.