The highly contagious polio virus that crippled thousands in Canada in the 1950s has been eradicated in many western countries but still thrives in a few places around the world. One of its last strongholds is in northern India, in the state of Uttar Pradesh and in the city of Muzaffarnagar. Polio Hunters follows a two-week immunization campaign there in 2005 assisted by Toronto's Dr. Yakub Vaid for the World Health Organization.
This trip takes Dr. Vaid away from his family and the comforts of his home in Toronto. He returns to the home of his ancestors; and with a tight timeline, he has to employ all the resources he can to find and vaccinate those at risk in a region where many aren't even aware that the polio vaccine can protect their children. Dr. Vaid is able to mobilize the volunteer resources of street criers and performers, school teachers and students, local midwives and the Muslim leaders to vaccinate as many children as possible to halt the spread of this crippling disease.
