Plan devised to combat polio virus on Eid

LAHORE:Anticipating mass movement during Ramazan and Eid holidays, Punjab has rolled out Eid vaccination plan to combat polio virus transmission.

As part of the plan, Punjab will deploy polio teams on major exit and entry routes including bus stands, hospitals, shopping centres and railway stations. The plan will remain in place for 20 days starting from March 22 till April 10, 2025.

The decision to establish these "special transit points" was made to prevent the spread of the polio virus within the province and ensure it does not spread to other regions.

Punjab EOC Coordinator Adeel Tasawar confirmed, "Transit polio teams will ensure that no child travels without receiving two drops of the polio vaccine." This measure is particularly important given the anticipated mass movement of people between high-risk polio areas during the Eid holidays.

Special transit points have been set up in high-risk districts including Lahore, Rawalpindi, Multan, Faisalabad, Bahawalpur, Rahimyar Khan, Sahiwal, Okara, DG Khan, Rajanpur, Sialkot, Gujranwala, Sargodha, Attock, and Gujrat.

These sites supplement the 23 permanent vaccination points already operating in these regions, which vaccinated over 2.2 million children in 2024 alone.

In addition, Chief Minister’s Focal Person (CMFP) on Polio Uzma Kardar visited the Punjab Emergency Operations Centre on Thursday, where she received an update from the EOC Coordinator, Adeel Tasawar, and the core team. She was informed that the number of polio-affected districts has increased to 12, with intense virus circulation reported nationwide. To ensure better performance in future campaigns, the EOC is holding review meetings with district health management teams (DHMTs) in Lahore and Rawalpindi. Additional reviews are scheduled in other districts in the coming weeks.

Despite the rise in virus circulation, the EOC Coordinator emphasised that Punjab's high immunisation coverage has contributed to a low incidence of polio cases, with no severe cases of full-body or limb paralysis being detected. He credited the province's success to the high immunity levels achieved through polio campaigns and high routine immunisation coverage.

The CMFP emphasised that Punjab needed to refocus its efforts on provincial capital Lahore, which has been a source of virus transmission to other cities. "If the issues in Lahore are addressed, Punjab will be able to tackle most of its pressing challenges," stressed Uzma Kardar.