With Afghanistan and Pakistan being the only two countries in the world where polio is still endemic, India on Sunday said as a preventive measure it has decided to give polio vaccinating to those returning from the violence-hit nation.
Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said this on Sunday even as he shared a photo where returnees could be seen getting jabs at the Delhi international airport. In 2014, India was officially declared polio-free, along with the rest of the South-East Asia Region.
“We have decided to vaccinate Afghanistan returnees with free polio vaccine — OPV and fIPV, as a preventive measure against the Wild Polio Virus. Congratulations to the Health Team for their efforts to ensure public health. Take a look at the vaccination drive at Delhi International Airport,” Mandaviya tweeted.