Jirga in Torghar asks people to get kids vaccinated against polio

MANSEHRA: A grand jirga in the Torghar district on Wednesday asked the people to get children administered the anti-polio vaccine to save them from the crippling disease.

The jirga, which was held in the wake of the alleged death of a five-month-old girl after allegedly being administered the anti-polio vaccine in Judbah earlier this week, was attended among others by Deputy Commissioner Tahir Khan, Assistant Commissioner Khuramur Rehman and District Police Officer Hafiz Janis Khan, local elders and representatives of the Health Department.

The jirga accepts clarification made by deputy commissioner and officials of Health Department that polio vaccine is hazard-free, Maulana Zakir told the jirga. He said that it was confirmed that Islamia Bibi had died of high-grade fever and pneumonia.

We are thankful to the deputy commissioner and health officials who removed misconceptions about polio vaccine and henceforth the jirga members would also disseminate this message to the people in the district, said Maulana Zakir.