Banishing the virus: Immunisation drive launched in K-P

Campaign to run from March 12 to 14 in 18 districts of the province.


Our Correspondent March 11, 2012

PESHAWAR:


The Sub-National Immunisation Drive (SNID), – which will run from March 12 to 14 across Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P), was launched on Saturday.


At the launch, which took place in the Peshawar Press Club, health department officials and Senator Farhat Abbas administered anti-polio drops to a group of children.

Speaking at the event, Director of the Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI) Dr Janbaz Afridi said that over 3.7 million children below the age of five would be administered the oral vaccine during the campaign across the province.

The immunisation drive is being conducted in 18 districts of the province, he added. Around 10,799 teams have been constituted for this purpose, which include mobile, fixed and transitional teams.

“About four cases have been confirmed across K-P during the first two months of this year-one each in Peshawar, Dera Ismail Khan, Kohat and Lakki Marwat,” Dr Janbaz said, adding that Pakistan was among the only three countries, which have failed to eradicate polio. He pointed out that Bangladesh and several African countries with poor development indicators had already overcome polio.

Dr Janbaz said Punjab is nearing success in eradicating the disease. “However, cases are still being reported in other provinces and K-P’s adjoining areas,” he added.

“Saying that polio drops are unsafe is an archaic expression, as rest of the world has eliminated this crippling disease with the same vaccine,” he added.

Senator Abbas also lamented how certain elements continue to believe that the vaccine caused problems with fertility and misguided the people.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 11th, 2012.

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