Polio vaccination drive begins today

LAHORE: Nationwide fourth and last National Immunization Drive of the current year under Health Department kicks off Monday (today).

The drive would continue till September26. According to a handout issued here on Sunday, Minister for Health Dr Yasmin Rashid said that elimination of polio was top priority of Punjab government and anti-polio drive would be observed according to the plan. “Reaching out every child for vaccination was absolutely critical in order to ensure that no more child suffers from the incurable disease”, the minister added. “The goal of making Pakistan polio-free would be achieved with missionary zeal”, she pledged. She appealed the parents and teachers to become “helping hands” in anti-polio drive.

Punjab’s Emergency Operation Coordinator for polio eradication Dr Munir Ahmed also said that Pakistan was very close to eradicate polio thanks to frequent anti-polio drives. However, he pointed out that “consistent positive environment samples in Rawalpindi and Lahore indicate that children were still at risk in certain areas”. “The provincial emergency operations centre has constituted over 45 thousand teams for door to door vaccination and over 19 million children under-five would be reached all over the province” he said. The Health Department also set up special toll free helpline 0800-99000 for any information and help on polio vaccination.