Punjab concludes Eid polio vaccination initiative

Teams were deployed at 93 sites in 10 districts

LAHORE:

As the Polio Eid Mubarak Vaccination Initiative in Punjab ended on Monday, a special ceremony was organised at the Lahore Zoo by the Provincial Emergency Operations Centre in collaboration with the Districts Health Management Team.

The event aimed to vaccinate children and was attended by Chief Executive Officer Health Lahore Dr Faisal, along with representatives from UNICEF and WHO.

To maximise participation, special kiosks were set up within the zoo premises where parents could receive information about polio vaccination and administer drops to their children.

Stressing the importance of vaccinating children, Dr Faisal highlighted how these points served as significant vaccination opportunities to prevent the circulation of the virus.

Dr Faisal emphasised the need for parents to vaccinate their children at these transit points, especially considering Punjab's risk of imported transmission.

While the province is currently polio-free, recent positive environmental samples from Lahore were found to be linked with Afghanistan and South Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, indicating the potential for virus reintroduction.

The decision to deploy polio teams at transit sites was made during a meeting chaired by Punjab Emergency Operations CoordinatorKhizer Afzaal Chaudhary, attended by polio eradication partners. The objective of this deployment was to prevent virus reinfection in the province.

Chaudhary directed districts to ensure that no child traveled without receiving two drops of the oral polio vaccine.

The EOC head called upon parents to cooperate with polio teams at transit sites, particularly during the Eid period when people travel to celebrate with their loved ones. The administration of polio drops to traveling children is crucial in preventing the movement of the polio virus from one place to another and protecting unvaccinated and immunocompromised children from potential infection.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 11^th, 2023.