The Ludhiana district administration announced it will cover 4.9 lakh children under five during the upcoming National Pulse Polio drive from June 28 to July 2, 2026. Backed by 632 booths and 1,535 house-to-house teams, the campaign aims for 100% coverage to maintain India's polio-free status.
LUDHIANA, India — The District Health Department of Ludhiana has finalized an extensive operational roadmap to cover nearly 4.9 lakh children under the upcoming National Pulse Polio immunization drive. The mass healthcare campaign, scheduled to run from June 28 to July 2, 2026, aims to deliver life-saving oral polio vaccine (OPV) drops to all children under five years of age across the district.
To ensure full compliance and maximize community reach, the district task force held a high-level administrative review meeting on Wednesday. The session focused on coordinating human resources, securing vaccine cold-chain logistics, and deploying field teams to vulnerable urban slums, rural pockets, and migrant worker colonies.
Comprehensive Booth Layout and Multi-Tiered Field Deployment
To achieve its target of vaccinating exactly 4.90 lakh children, the health administration has structured a multi-tiered field framework. According to infrastructure logs released during the review meeting, the department will set up 632 centralized polio booths alongside 438 supplementary sub-booths across the district’s industrial and residential zones.
The physical booths will be heavily reinforced by a mobile workforce to handle immediate field challenges:
House-to-House Teams: A total of 1,535 dedicated door-to-door teams are assigned to navigate residential neighborhoods.
Transit Teams: Eighty specialized transit units will operate at high-traffic hubs, including railway platforms, interstate bus terminals, and major entry checkpoints.
Mobile Teams: Ninety-eight mobile units will target remote brick kilns, temporary construction sites, and agricultural perimeters.
Supervisory Oversight: A network of 506 designated field supervisors will monitor operations in real time to ensure strict storage and administration standards.
Differentiated Timelines to Guarantee 100% Regional Coverage
The immunization drive will follow a structured timeline designed to balance localized demand. On the initial launch day, June 28, 2026, the campaign will function primarily through the stationary booth network, encouraging parents to bring their children directly to local centers. Following the launch, the mobile and door-to-door teams will begin a multi-day sweep to identify and vaccinate children who missed the booth window.
This follow-up phase is intentionally tailored to regional demographic realities: it will run for three days in rural areas and extend to five days across high-density urban and peri-urban locations. This extended timeline addresses the unique needs of Ludhiana's large, floating migrant labor population, which heavily populates industrial sectors and frequently moves across state borders.
Safeguarding India's Certified Polio-Free Status
While India was officially certified polio-free by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2014, health authorities stress that continuous vigilance remains vital. Bordering nations, specifically Pakistan and Afghanistan, continue to report active transmission of wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1).
Because Ludhiana acts as a primary economic hub with a steady influx of industrial workers from across the country, maintaining high community immunity barriers is essential. Regular pulse polio campaigns ensure that cross-border transit or vaccine-derived virus variants do not trigger localized outbreaks.
Official Sources Section
The operational data, field team divisions, and target numbers for this immunization campaign have been verified through official updates from the following administrative channels:
District Task Force Registry: Joint review updates provided by Assistant Commissioner (General) Payal Goyal and Civil Surgeon Dr. Ramandeep Kaur.
Punjab Health Department Portal: Campaign guidelines matching the national guidelines issued by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) under the Universal Immunization Programme (UIP).
Quote Section
"No child should be left out of this crucial immunization campaign," emphasized Assistant Commissioner Payal Goyal during the task force assembly. "According to officials, all government line departments have been instructed to work in close coordination and provide full logistical backing to ensure 100 percent coverage across both urban hubs and remote rural settlements."
Why It Matters
The deployment of localized pulse polio drives has real, practical benefits for community health and financial stability. For individual families, ensuring children receive the vaccine prevents irreversible paralytic conditions and lifetime health vulnerabilities. On a macro level, sustaining high vaccination coverage protects India's herd immunity. This preventive approach shields the public healthcare infrastructure from the heavy financial strain of managing preventable viral outbreaks, keeping the workforce healthy and resilient.
Key Facts at a Glance
Ambitious Target Population: The health department aims to administer vaccine drops to 4.90 lakh children under the age of five.
Campaign Duration: The campaign kicks off on Sunday, June 28, 2026, lasting up to five days in high-density urban zones.
Massive Infrastructure: The drive relies on 632 stationary booths, 1,535 door-to-door squads, and nearly 100 mobile teams.
Vigilance Mandate: Continuous immunization is essential to protect India’s hard-won polio-free status from external transmission risks.
FAQ Section
Q1: Should a child receive the campaign drops if they are already up to date on their routine polio vaccines?
Yes. The health department states that children under five must receive the Pulse Polio campaign drops even if they have recently received their scheduled routine oral or injectable polio doses.
Q2: How will the health department reach children living in temporary or migrant colonies?
The department has deployed 98 mobile teams and 80 transit units to systematically visit factory sites, brick kilns, and transit points like railway stations.
Q3: What should parents do if their child misses the stationary booth day on June 28?
Parents do not need to worry. Health teams will conduct door-to-door follow-up visits over the next three to five days to locate and vaccinate any children who missed the booth launch.
Q4: Where can residents find their nearest designated polio vaccination booth?
Information regarding localized booth setups is available through regional health workers, local anganwadi centers, or by contacting the National Health Mission Punjab Support Network.
Source: District Task Force Review Briefings, Official Campaign Declarations from Civil Surgeon Ludhiana, and immunization data lines from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW).
