Punjab set to inoculate over 19.9 million children against polio

LAHORE: The five-day national polio immunisation drive is set to begin on Monday, February 17, in Punjab as well as all over the country, Punjab Polio Programme Incharge Ms Sundas Irshad said in a statement on Friday.

The government aims to ensure that polio virus circulation is interrupted during the first national immunisation drive of the current year and the virus is eliminated,” said Ms Sundas.

The Provincial Emergency Operations Centre for polio eradication has constituted over 48,000 teams that would go door-to-door and would be deployed at major crossings and points to vaccinate over 19.93 million children under the age of five years all over the province, she said.

The polio programme incharge said in order to facilitate parents and receive complaints a 24-hour helpline 1166 has been established. People can also lodge complaints at government’s social media accounts using hashtags #PakFightsPolio and @polioeradicationinitiative, if polio teams do not turn up in their areas.

Ms Sundas also assured parents that polio vaccine was safe, efficacious, and approved by the government’s drug regulatory authorities.