Imphal, January 11: The first phase of the pulse polio immunization programme was held today.

Children between 0 to 5 years of age were given the polio vaccine.

The Chief Minister Okram Ibobi today launched the programme at the Chief Minister's office.

Children were given the polio vaccine.

The Chief Minister said we should work to eradicate polio completely from the state and the country.

The Family Welfare minister Bijoy Koljam today said no one will be spared if any of the officials is found guilty of dereliction of duty.

The details of the programme will be available only after seven eight days.

The vaccine can be carried in boxes where it can be kept for two to six days.

A house to house campaign will be carried out he said.

All the children vaccinated today were marked to know who has not been vaccinated.

The dose can be given any numbers of time.

It is imported from Belgium and Spain though two Indian companies have started manufacturing it.

About Rs 35 lakhs were utilized for the first phase.

For the second phase about Rs 28 lakhs will be used.

There is no case of polio in Manipur since 1999.The government is targeting about 3,45,532 children.

About 3361 booths will be opened and 106 mobile teams will be on the move.

A total of 683 supervisors and 13,656 vaccinators will be used.

The Family Welfare minister said there is no opposition to the programme from any quarter.

It is going on smoothly.

The Newmai News Network adds from Kohima that Nagaland has virtually become a polio free state with no fresh case polio reported in the last four years.

Nagaland Minister for Health and Family Welfare, Thenucho, today said there was no detection of fresh case of polio in the state in the last four years.

Formally launching the first round of Intensive Pulse Polio Immunization Programme, 2004, by administering polio drops to two-year-old twin sisters at PWD junction in Kohima on Sunday, the minister said the Intensive Pulse Polio Immunization Programme, which is in its eighth year in the country, had drastically brought down fresh incidences of the disease from about 20,000 in 1994 to 214 in 2003.He said the zero detection of the case was the, result of hard work put in by all those who actively took part in the campaign.

Thenucho said the immunization programme is a people's movement and that his department can only play the role of a facilitator.

He called upon the people and also organizations to accord top most priority to eradication of the disease.

Thenucho further appreciated the state health and family welfare department for taking care of all the logistics and ensuring the quality of the vaccine through its cold chain network.

He, however, cautioned people against complacency and called upon them to work even harder to ensure maintenance of zero incidence of polio.

The minister expressed gratitude to various NGOs, paramilitary forces, media, churches, other nodal organizations and the public in particular for their whole hearted involvement in making the campaign possible.

Meanwhile, according to sources from the state health department, the second round of the campaign in state will be conducted on February 22.

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