Women vaccinate children against polio in remote Kashmir

In India, specifically in the highlands of Kashmir, two women, Shameema and Tanzeela, are part of a national effort to vaccinate children against polio. They trek over 12 miles in extreme summer heat, carrying heavy insulated cool boxes filled with oral vaccines. This initiative is part of a larger national immunization campaign that targets 27 million children under five years old, with the aim of eradicating polio. Shameema has administered drops to over 3,000 children, while Tanzeela has reached about 800 since joining the program. Their work is crucial in communities where access to healthcare is limited, and they often navigate challenging terrains to reach families. The women are compensated minimally for their efforts, receiving only 125 rupees a day from the state government during the vaccination campaigns, which occur four to six times a year. The oral polio vaccine, developed by Albert Sabin in the late 1950s, uses a weakened form of the virus to create immunity in children, thereby reducing the risk of transmission in communities that rely on streams and springs for clean water. The scale of this immunization effort is immense, involving up to 1.7 million vaccinators and 750,000 booths across the country, making it one of the largest public health initiatives globally. The dedication of frontline health workers like Shameema and Tanzeela is vital in ensuring that children receive the necessary vaccinations, as they often face difficult conditions and limited resources in their mission to protect the health of their communities.