Polio vaccination campaign kicks off today

Islamabad: Targeting 30 million children, a sub-national polio vaccination campaign begins in selected high-risk districts of Pakistan from today (Monday). Frontline polio workers will go door-to-door in 97 districts to administer the magic vaccine that offers lifelong protection from polio—a highly infectious disease that invades the nervous system, and can cause paralysis or even death.

Polio vaccine will be administered to 5.59 million children below the age of five years in 25 districts in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, including seven tribal districts. In Sindh, the campaign will run in all towns of Karachi and in 20 districts of interior Sindh, where polio drops will be administered to over 6.13 million children. The campaign will be conducted in 12 districts of Punjab targeting 6.6 million children, and 21 districts of Balochistan, where approximately 1.77 million children will be given polio drops. Islamabad will be implementing the polio campaign in all high-risk areas targeting 0.24 million eligible children.

Pakistan has reported 6 cases of wild poliovirus so far in 2019. Cases have been reported from big cities like Karachi and Lahore, and districts like Bajaur, Khyber, Hangu, and Bannu in Khyber Pakthunkwa. While there is no cure for polio, vaccination is the most effective way to protect children from this crippling disease. Each time a child under the age of five is vaccinated, their protection against the virus is increased. Repeated immunizations have protected millions of children from polio, allowing almost all countries in the world to become polio-free.

Pakistan has urged parents to ensure that all children are immunized during each and every polio campaign in order to remain protected from the risks that persistent poliovirus circulation presents. In a press release issued on Sunday, Dr. Rana Safdar, Coordinator of the National Emergency Operations Centre, has urged the civil society, religious scholars and media to promote vaccination as a norm, and has asked parents to cooperate with polio workers.

Prime Minister’s Focal Person on Polio Eradication Babar Bin Atta said, “The country now has one of the best opportunities to stop poliovirus transmission. It is, therefore, high time that we all gear up to collectively fight the virus and provide support to our brave frontline workers so that they can reach and vaccinate every single Pakistani child.” He further added that, “challenges remain in fully eradicating the virus; however, the federal and provincial governments stay firmly committed to defeating the virus forever.”