All citizens are equal
KARACHI: Officials involved in the anti-polio vaccination drives have often stated that most households and educational institutes of the upper middle class and the elite class refuse polio vaccinations during door-to-door campaigns. Parents prefer to have their children vaccinated from private medical practitioners rather than opting for the service provided by the government. This is because the campaign is thought to be unhygienic — a result of a bias shown towards the polio workers who often belong to the lower income groups. Since these families also believe that the quality of the vaccines is compromised, they get their children vaccinated before the campaigns commence.
According to officials, in order to eradicate the disease, it is essential for all children to be vaccinated during the campaigns, regardless of previous vaccinations. The resistance from families from these income strata has become a challenge as the campaigns are unable to meet their targets. Officials have been considering various methods to overcome this opposition, including employing privately practising paediatricians to convince parents for vaccinations during the drives.
This differential attitude amongst the public is unfair. All citizens are equal, and while it is the government’s responsibility to ensure the quality and hygienic dispensation of the vaccine (for the poor and the rich), people also need to alter their perception of others which is based on appearance.
Maheen Ahmed
Published in The Express Tribune, April 2nd, 2019.
Like Opinion & Editorial on Facebook, follow @ETOpEd on Twitter to receive all updates on all our daily pieces.
