Afghan returnees to be administered polio vaccines

Bengaluru: The National Health Mission has asked the Karnataka government to administer polio vaccines to all those arriving in the state from Afghanistan.

In a letter, state director of the National Health Mission Dr Arundhathi Chandrashekar asked the Deputy Commissioners of all the districts and the chief commissioner of the Bengaluru civic body to provide two drops of polio dose and 0.1 ml of intradermal or subcutaneous flPV vaccine to all those coming from Afghanistan, at the entry point.

As part of screening of children up to 15 years of age, their stool sample should be sent with the laboratory request form to the National Institute of Virology in Bengaluru, she added.

Many Afghan nationals have arrived in India following the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan fearing for their lives and security.