Public health: Dept says polio vaccination drive on schedule

Spokesperson said the Health Department had not sent any letter to the federal government requesting more vaccine

LAHORE: A spokesperson for the Health Department on Friday denied news reports that a polio vaccination campaign had been postponed in some districts due to security concerns and a shortage of the vaccine, saying the campaign would be launched according to the schedule.

“The drive is planned for August 29 to August 31,” he said. “It has not been postponed.”

He said the districts to be covered in the drive were Lahore, Rawalpindi, Rahim Yar Khan, Multan, Muzaffargarh, Dera Ghazi Khan and Rajanpur.

He said an environment sample taken from Faisalabad recently had tested positive for polio.

“A vaccination drive will be organised in Faisalabad, Toba Tek Singh, Hafizabad and Jhang as an emergency measure from August 22 to August 24,” he said.

He said the Health Department had not sent any letter to the federal government requesting more vaccine.

“Polio vaccine doses are available in sufficient quantity for the campaign in the Punjab,” he said.

The spokesperson said the campaign was not being launched across the province.

“This is a sub-national immunisation campaign, launched in only districts that are considered sensitive,” he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 13^th, 2016.