President Pranab Mukherjee launched the Pulse Polio programme for 2016 by administering polio drops to children at the Rahstrapati Bhawan on the eve of the National Immunization Day.<br/><br/>Around 17.4 crore children under five years of age will be administered polio drops today throughout the country.<br/><br/>Union Health Minister J P Nadda said Polio-free status for five years is a treasure for the country. He said, as polio is now endemic only in Afghanistan and Pakistan, the world is at last stage of polio eradication. <br/><br/>He said, to provide double protection to the children, the government has introduced the injectable Inactivated Polio Vaccine into its routine immunization program along with oral polio vaccine. <br/><br/>Mr Nadda also said, government is planning to switch to bivalent Oral Polio Vaccine from its present trivalent version in some months.