Srinagar- More than 19 lakh children in the age group of 0 to 5 years will be administered Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV) across Jammu and Kashmir on December 21 as part of the National Immunization Day (NID) 2025.

The vaccination drive will be followed by intensive house-to-house immunisation on December 22 and 23 to ensure that no eligible child is left out.

Director, Family Welfare, MCH & Immunization, J&K, Poonam Sethi, said a total of 19,85,736 children have been targeted for immunisation across the Union Territory. She said extensive arrangements have been put in place to ensure smooth implementation of the campaign.

According to officials, 10,993 vaccination booths and 248 transit points have been established, while 518 mobile teams have been deployed to reach hard-to-access and vulnerable populations.

A media sensitisation meeting in connection with the upcoming National Immunization Day was held at Government Hospital, Gandhi Nagar, to mobilise media support and strengthen public outreach. Officials appealed to parents and guardians to ensure that every eligible child receives the mandatory two drops of OPV to sustain Jammu and Kashmir’s polio-free status.

State Immunization Officer Shahid Hussain said adequate stocks of OPV are available and assured that cold chain mechanisms are fully functional and under strict monitoring to maintain vaccine potency throughout the campaign.