Most parents still reluctant to vaccinate their children

A significant number of parents are still reluctant to get their children vaccinated against polio on the third day of the inoculation drive in Hyderabad despite exhaustive efforts by the district health and finance departments to ensure 100% coverage.

Poliovirus has been detected in sample collected from Jacob and Main Tulsidas pumping stations of Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA) in Hyderabad district, setting off alarm bells for the administration.

The district administration has, for the first time, announced fines and potential jail sentences for parents who persist in refusing to get their children vaccinated, highlighting the heightened risk of a polio outbreak among children.

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Deputy Commissioner Tariq Qureshi issued a letter to parents, citing the Sindh Immunization and Epidemics Control Bill 2023. The letter empowers the deputy commissioner to impose fines under Section 1. Parents who continue to refuse participation may face either a month's imprisonment or a fine of Rs50,000.

The letter underscores the severity of polio as a highly contagious and debilitating disease, typically transmitted through contaminated water or food. Polio can lead to complete paralysis within the knees by attacking the nervous system. Parents are earnestly requested in the letter to cooperate with polio teams and ensure their children receive polio drops to curb the spread of the virus.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 12^th, 2024.