Parents urged to get children vaccinated against polio

Health experts at a session here on Thursday sensitised parents and community elders about the importance of vaccination, particularly against polio to save children from falling prey to the crippling disease.

They were speaking at the Polio Expanded Age Group Supplementary Immunisation Activities Session held at the Kakshal-II Union Council here.A number of the community elders including UC Kakshal-II Nazim Shah Zaman, Naib Nazim Amjad, UC sectaries Usman and Aftab, patwari Haji Sajjad, teachers, District Health Communication Support Officer Sheraz and Communication Officer Fahim Nawaz participated in the session. Dr Jahanzeb Khan, focal person for the Shaheen Muslim Town Block in Peshawar, chaired the session.

The basic objective of arranging the session was to sensitise parents to get their children below the age of 10 years vaccinated against polio as the experts said that poliovirus was still circulating in the environment. Speaking on the occasion, Dr Jahanzeb Khan said the government was trying to interrupt the circulation of polio various with the help of its partners.

He said the Prime Minister’s social media team was joining the Peshawar team to counter propaganda against polio on social media. Dr Jahanzeb Khan said the government was working closely with the World Health Organisation, UNICEF, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to help eradicate polio. Union Council Polio Eradication Committee Chairman Dr Arshad Rahatullah also highlighted the importance of essential immunisation.

“We are also focusing on other childhood diseases including childhood tuberculosis, diarrhoea, diphtheria, hepatitis-B, measles, meningitis, pertussis, pneumonia and tetanus,” he added.