- Pulse Polio
Pulse Polio is an
immunization campaign established by thegovernment of India in 1994 to eradicatepoliomyelitis (polio) inIndia by vaccinating annually all children under age five against poliovirus.Every child receives a dose of Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV), a live, attenuated virus which colonises the
gastrointestinal tract . This virus competitively inhibits the wild, disease-causing poliovirus. Not only does this prevent pernicious infection in the host, it precludes transmission of the wild poliovirus to other hosts. Since poliovirus cannot survive outside a host for more than two weeks, theoretically it would be eradicated, resulting in the eradication of poliomyelitis.The campaign proved to be successful, and the incidence of poliomyelitis in India has decreased dramatically: India recorded 4,791 cases of polio in 1994; 2,489 in 1997; 1,600 in 2002; 225 in 2003; and 135 in 2004. Nevertheless, critics charge that the campaign has seriously encroached on other essential
public health services at times whenhealth care resources were minimal.ources
*Staff writer. [http://onlypunjab.com/fullstory2k5-insight--status-22-newsID-25278.html "India vaccinates nearly 80 million children."] [http://www.onlypunjab.com/ Onlypunjab.com] 28 February 2005: Health News.PULSE stands for "Post-resuscitation and Initial Utility in Life saving Efforts"
ee also
*
Healthcare in India
*Vaccination
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.