Centre reschedules polio immunisation day to January 31 due to coronavirus vaccination programme

The Union health ministry on Thursday said that the polio immunisation day has been rescheduled from January 17 to January 31, in view of the coronavirus inoculation drive which is set to begin on Saturday.

“The massive countrywide COVID-19 vaccination drive will be rolled out by Prime Minister [Narendra Modi] from 16th January, 2021,” the ministry said in a statement. “This would be world’s largest immunisation exercise.”

The health ministry added: “The decision is in keeping with the stated policy of the Health Ministry to ensure that Covid management and vaccination services as well as non-Covid essential health services proceed in tandem without adversely impacting each other.”