Polio vaccine safe, ignore rumours: Karnataka government

BENGALURU: Clarifying the rumours pertaining to safety of Pulse Polio drops, the state health and family welfare department on Friday stated that the oral vaccine was safe and public must not panic about the same.
An audio message was making rounds in the state claiming that the Pulse Polio vaccine contained viral fever drops and the manufacturers have been arrested in Delhi. The anonymous WhatsApp message also urged the parents not to administer the Pulse Polio drops till the next update.
Reacting to the message, the authorities of health department clarified that such rumours were baseless. “There is false rumour spreading. The vital two drops of Pulse Polio vaccination are required for your child below the age of five years,” said the health department in an official release.
The upcoming Pulse Polio drive is on February 3, 2019 and it aims to cover 66,77,323 children below the age of five years in Karnataka. As many as 30,237 booths and 60,474 teams had been set up for the drive already, said the authorities.