Propaganda against polio: EPI reschedules outreach vaccination programme for merged districts

PESHAWAR: The Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI) Cell has rescheduled the first phase of extensive outreach vaccination drive due to recent baseless propaganda that has damaged ongoing polio campaign in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and merged districts.

The reschedule decision was made at a meeting attended by Programme Manager Dr Sahibzada M. Khalid and humanitarian partners, said a press release.

It was taken due to fear that the prevailing public sentiments against vaccination drives may jeopardise the first phase of the programme that was previously scheduled to start on April 26.

The programme will not kick off on Monday next week, April 29, for which all arrangements have already been finalised.

It was decided that apart from areas with the EPI centres, the hard-to-access far-flung areas with no EPI centres would be accessed during the programme.

The 12 days an extensive outreach vaccination programme shall be conducted in the catchment areas of EPI centres and far-flung areas will be covered thereafter for five days (dates for the areas of number EPI centres will be communicated later).

It was also decided that the stock of all vaccines would be calculated. In case of any shortage, the vaccines could be collected from stores of merged areas directorate. The store will be opened on Saturday for collection of vaccine.