Anti-Polio drive: Two weeks late, campaign kicks off

ISLAMABAD:

A three-day anti-polio campaign under the sub-national immunization day kicked-off in Islamabad on Monday following a two-week delay. The campaign was supposed to be started from January 14 but was postponed due to security concerns followed by Tahirul Qadri’s long march and later due to Eid Miladun Nabi.

The campaign is only going to be carried out in high-risk zones such as Tarnol, Terlai, Golra Sharif and  Sara-e-Kharbuza. Deputy Commissioner Amir Ali Ahmed said that as a precautionary measure on the first day, partial police security cover was provided to the polio teams, with a police escort accompanying vaccinators during the door-to-door campaign. Security will be enhanced from today with Rangers personnel joining vaccinators. He said it is not possible to send policemen with each vaccinator as it will create a sense of insecurity among parents. Police mobile teams will patrol, while at union councils, station house officers will monitor security.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 29^th, 2013.