Anti-measles drive: Campaign postponed to focus on polio drive

KARACHI:  

An anti-measles vaccination campaign, which was scheduled to begin from May 25, was postponed on Saturday due to its overlap with anti-polio campaign.

The campaign against polio will start on May 24 and culminate on May 26, informed Extended Programme on Immunisation (EPI) project director Agha Ashfaq. "Since the anti-polio campaign is in a critical stage, we have decided to focus on it, as it is the priority of the federal and provincial governments."

According to him, the measles campaign will be launched after Ramazan from July 25 onwards. The eight-day campaign will be held across six districts of Karachi, he added.

Speaking about the availability of the measles vaccine, Ashfaq said it is procured from the federal government. EPI will get the vaccination in July before the launch of the campaign, he claimed.

Around 650 cases of measles have surfaced in Karachi this year, said Dr Raj Kumar from EPI.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 22^nd, 2016.