Measles, rubella vaccination drive launched

QUETTA/PESHAWAR:

National measles and rubella prevention campaign was formally launched in Balochsitan and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) on Thursday.

Around 5.6 million children will be vaccinated in Balochistan. This year alone around 2500 cases of measles cases have been reported across the province. Around 25 children were also killed by the disease. Authorities have formed 7,000 teams to vaccinate children

Immunization campaign will be held from November 15 to November 27 and government has already approached clerics, parents and teachers to help create awareness.

On the other hand, an estimated 2.336 million children from nine months to 15 years age would be vaccinated against the two diseases in the Peshawar district.

Deputy Commissioner Peshawar Khalid Mehmood formally launched the measles and rubella vaccination drive in the provincial metropolitan.

During the 12-day long inoculation drive, the target population of children would be given jab of measles and rubella vaccines while they would also be vaccinated against polio.

Speaking on the occasion the DC Peshawar said that the campaign would be carried out in Peshawar from November 15 to November 27.

He said the children including 700,000 school children and 1,636,000 other children would be vaccinated against measles and rubella for which 1,509 teams have been constituted including 153 fixed teams and 1,356 outreach teams in different centers of the health department while these teams also include 103 medical officers.

The teams would vaccinate children aged nine months to 15 years against measles and rubella across Peshawar, while 5-year-olds would also be vaccinated against polio during the campaign. DC appealed to the people to cooperate with them.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 12^th, 2021.