The Haryana government on September 21 initiated the first phase of sub-national vaccination Pulse Polio Campaign 2020-21 in the high-risk areas amid the coronavirus pandemic.

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On the first day of the campaign, about 3.74 lakh children under five years were given polio drops. The state government is aiming to immunise about 6.3 lakh children across the state. "Haryana government has launched the first round of sub-national vaccination pulse polio campaign 2020-21 in high-risk areas, covering the container areas of 13 districts. Pulse polio will be given to about 6.3 lakh children during this campaign in the state," Haryana Chief Minister's Office said in a tweet.

According to the CMO, the campaign is being carried out in 13 districts -- Ambala, Faridabad, Gurugram, Jhajjar, Karnal, Kurukshetra, Mewat, Palwal, Panchkula, Panipat, Rohtak, Sonipat and Yamunanagar. "Under this campaign, the children who have been eradicated from the medicine will be given house-to-house polio drops and on the first day of the campaign about 3.74 lakh (59 percent) children under the age of five years were given polio drops," the CMO said in a subsequent tweet. "Children, who were not given polio drops during the booth activity, will be given door-to-door polio medication on September 21-22, 2020, including children from slums, separate slums, brick kilns and migrating high-risk areas," it added.