Children start getting shots in Rawalpindi

The provincial health department is providing family planning services, nutrition screening and ultrasound facilities among other health facilities free of charge at a ‘health fair’ that will continue till the end of this week in Rawalpindi.

The fair has been set up in an area on the Karnal Sher Khan Shaheed Road, previously known as the IJP Road, with the caretaker health minister of Punjab, Dr Jamal Nasir, inaugurating the week-long drive by administering vaccines to a child.

The health fair coincides with the week-long measles vaccination drive from June 19-26 that follows an outbreak. The number of measles cases reported in Rawalpindi has exceeded 600. In April this year, eight children died due to measles in multiple hospitals in the city over the span of 30 days.

The measles campaign is province-wide, targeting specific areas across 10 districts and 147 union councils (UCs) in Punjab.

It includes 42 UCs of Rawalpindi, and targets children aged six months to five years. As many as 262,363 children are expected to receive the vaccine in the garrison city.

The provincial health minister, speaking at the inauguration, said apart from mother and child health and family planning counters, electronic medical record, nutrition screening, ultrasound and mental health clinics were also part of facilities offered at the fair.

The minister visited the stalls where he was briefed about the facilities. The director of Rawalpindi’s health department Dr Ansar Ishaq, Family Planning Director Shiree Sukhan, Health Department CEO Dr Ijaz were also present.

Dr Nasir lauded the doctors and paramedical staff for their ‘untiring effort’, and added that the caretaker government would utilise all possible resources for this purpose.

On the measles campaign, the minister said that ensuring the healthy development of children is a national responsibility.

“During the special campaign, 1.5m children between the ages of six months to five years will be vaccinated,” he said.

The campaign will continue till June 24.

Apart from measles, children will also be given anti-polio vaccines. Children across 147 UCs of 10 districts of Punjab will be vaccinated against measles. Dr Nasir said measles and rubella vaccine will be given to children in 80 UCs of Lahore.

Meanwhile, only measles vaccine will be administered in 42 UCs of Rawalpindi. It will also be provided in 12 UCs in Jhang, three in Hafizabad, and two each in Narowal, Sialkot, Kasur and Toba Tek Singh. It will also be provided at UCs in Gujranwala and Sheikhupura.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 20^th, 2023.