As part of the national Pulse Polio Immunisation Campaign, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay on Sunday launched the special drive at the Government Adi Dravidar Welfare School in Palavakkam on the outskirts of Chennai.

Mr. Vijay launched the campaign by administering the oral polio vaccine to children and distributing gifts to them.

An official release said the State government had made elaborate arrangements to administer polio drops to 52.91 lakh children aged below five at 43,051 centres across the State, including government hospitals, primary health centres, anganwadi centres, and schools.

Temporary transit booths were set up at bus terminals, railway stations, airports, toll plazas, and check posts to administer polio drops. The polio vaccination centres functioned from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Apart from the administration of polio drops at the centres on June 28, the drive would continue on June 29 and June 30 at transit booths.

The entire drive will cover the children of migrant workers from other States residing in Tamil Nadu.

More than two lakh health workers, anganwadi workers, teachers, and volunteers were deployed for the campaign, the release added.

Minister for Health and Family Welfare K.G. Arunraj, Sholinganallur MLA P. Saravanan, and senior officials from the Department of Health and Family Welfare and the Greater Chennai Corporation were among those present.