Special drive in Telengana after polio virus found in sewage water in Hyderabad

With the detection of polio virus from a sample of water in the Amberpet nala in Hyderabad, the health department has decided to launch a special polio drive in the city and Ranga Reddy districts.

The presence of Type 2 vaccine derived polio virus was detected in the sewage and as a precautionary measure, a campaign to vaccinate all children in the age group of 6 weeks to 3 years would be carried out from 20 June 20 to 26 June, principal secretary, health, R Trivedi said. He added there was not need to panic.

''As India has been declared polio-free, tests are carried out regularly to ascertain if there are traces of polio virus in the environment. Once found vaccination has to be carried out again in that area so that the children are not affected,'' The Asian Age reported.

The inactivated polio vaccine injection would be administered in a phased manner and all the volunteers from the World Health Organisation, Unicef and Rotary Club would participate in the campaign.

Meanwhile, The Times of India reported that 2 lakh vaccine vials have been airlifted from Geneva to inoculate children in Hyderabad as a ''preventive measure''.

Vaccine Derived Polio Virus (VDPV) strain had not been seen in the country for the last five years and vaccination was important given that Hyderabad is well connected with West Asian nations.