Anti-polio drive launched in Fata

PESHAWAR: Dr Jawad Habib Khan, Director Health Services Fata, inaugurated anti-polio campaign in Fata by administering oral polio vaccine (OPV) to a child at Emergency Operations Centre in Fata Secretariat on Monday.

“We have a unique opportunity to eradicate polio from Fata with IPV-OPV campaigns launched simultaneously,” he said. He added the parents should get their children vaccinated against polio during the campaign.

He said that the inactivated polio vaccine (IPV) is a safe and effective that protects children against polio. Dr Jawad Habib Khan said that polio cannot be cured but can be prevented through immunisation and it was the responsibility of parents to save their children from paralysis.

The three-day campaign has been launched in North Waziristan, South Waziristan, Khyber Agency, Frontier Region Tank, FR Lakki, FR Dera Ismail Khan and FR Bannu, where a total of 5,12,230 children below the age of 5 years will be vaccinated with the OPV by 1,911 polio teams.

In Bajaur, Mohmand, Orakzai, Kurram, FR Peshawar & FR Kohat, the campaign will last for eight days from February 13 to February 20. Up to 1,68,004 children between the ages of 4 months and 23 months will be vaccinated with IPV and 2,04,755 children between the ages of 0 to 23 months will be vaccinated with OPV by 853 polio teams.