Polio campaign to vaccinate 233,000 kids

Top official urges parents to give polio drops to their children

ABBOTTABAD:

Under a five-day anti-polio vaccination drive, as many as 233,000 children under the age of five would be vaccinated in the district.

Abbottabad Deputy Commissioner Abbottabad Tariq Salam Marwat on Tuesday presiding over a meeting to review arrangements for the vaccination drive, urged all parents to give anti-polio drops to their 5-year-old children and vitamin A drops to children from 6 months to 5 years during the 5-day anti-polio campaign.

He said a total of 1,273 teams will be formed for the anti-polio campaign. In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, a campaign is being launched to control the spread of polio in the event of two recent cases being reported.

A briefing was given by the District Polio Control Room on anti-polio statistics and preparedness.

The official directed officials concerned to complete the preparations for the campaign and stressed that all measures should be taken to make the campaign a success. He instructed all measures regarding foolproof security of polio teams. He urged all departments and district price control magistrates to ensure vaccination in their area.

He directed the Health Department, and Local Government Department to be in constant touch with the Ulema-e-karam to create awareness among the people during sermons in mosques and to highlight the importance of polio and vitamin drops.

He asked the health department to create awareness among the people through print, social and electronic media. The campaign will be monitored through district control to make it as effective as possible.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 11^th, 2022.