Ongoing anti-polio drive: Parents urged to ensure children’s vaccination
Commissioner visits various UCs in District West
The total UCs being targeted in districts Central and Malir are eight, five in District East, four in District Korangi and one in District South. The total number of children to be targeted in Karachi is 864,718. PHOTO: AFP
KARACHI:
Parents whose children have not been administered polio drops need to make sure their kids are given the vaccine. Moreover, those children who have already received a vaccine dose should be given the drops once more to strengthen their immunity.
These appeals were made by Karachi Commissioner Aijaz Ahmed Khan on Wednesday during a visit to various union councils (UC) of District West to monitor arrangements for the anti-polio campaign. Earlier, he presided over a meeting at the polio control room in the West deputy commissioner (DC) Asif Jameel's office.
Being briefed on the third day of the six-day polio campaign, which started on July 25, Khan was told that 275,000 children have been administered polio drops till now [Wednesday].
During his visit to the UCs, the commissioner also interacted with volunteers and parents of children being administered the vaccine. "An anti-polio campaign is a national responsibility. The government is trying to take every possible measure to eradicate the virus from the country," he said. He also urged parents to make sure their children are not missed in the polio campaigns.
At the polio control room, the commissioner also met the chief field officer of Unicef, Dr Nargiza Khodjaeva, who acknowledged the government's efforts in combating the virus.
Khan also directed polio teams to follow the proper procedure of administering the drops. At the briefing, West DC briefed the commissioner that the campaign is being carried out in 25 UCs of the district. "District West is the most sensitive [district] and needs proper attention to eliminate the virus from Karachi," he said.
Talking about a reduction in the refusal cases, the DC said the number of refusals have gone down to 3,500 from 11,000 in the last three months and vowed that there would be no refusal cases after the next three months.
The total UCs being targeted in districts Central and Malir are eight, five in District East, four in District Korangi and one in District South. The total number of children to be targeted in Karachi is 864,718.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 28th, 2016.
Parents whose children have not been administered polio drops need to make sure their kids are given the vaccine. Moreover, those children who have already received a vaccine dose should be given the drops once more to strengthen their immunity.
These appeals were made by Karachi Commissioner Aijaz Ahmed Khan on Wednesday during a visit to various union councils (UC) of District West to monitor arrangements for the anti-polio campaign. Earlier, he presided over a meeting at the polio control room in the West deputy commissioner (DC) Asif Jameel's office.
Being briefed on the third day of the six-day polio campaign, which started on July 25, Khan was told that 275,000 children have been administered polio drops till now [Wednesday].
During his visit to the UCs, the commissioner also interacted with volunteers and parents of children being administered the vaccine. "An anti-polio campaign is a national responsibility. The government is trying to take every possible measure to eradicate the virus from the country," he said. He also urged parents to make sure their children are not missed in the polio campaigns.
At the polio control room, the commissioner also met the chief field officer of Unicef, Dr Nargiza Khodjaeva, who acknowledged the government's efforts in combating the virus.
Khan also directed polio teams to follow the proper procedure of administering the drops. At the briefing, West DC briefed the commissioner that the campaign is being carried out in 25 UCs of the district. "District West is the most sensitive [district] and needs proper attention to eliminate the virus from Karachi," he said.
Talking about a reduction in the refusal cases, the DC said the number of refusals have gone down to 3,500 from 11,000 in the last three months and vowed that there would be no refusal cases after the next three months.
The total UCs being targeted in districts Central and Malir are eight, five in District East, four in District Korangi and one in District South. The total number of children to be targeted in Karachi is 864,718.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 28th, 2016.