A Pakistani health worker administers polio vaccine drops to a young child at a polio vaccination center in Karachi. PHOTO: AFP/FILE
LAHORE: Parents who do not have proof of having their children vaccinated against polio and measles will not be issued birth certificates, ruled the City Government of Lahore on Monday, Express News reported.
Heading a meeting, District Coordination Officer (DCO) Lahore, Noorul Ameen Mengal issued directives in this regard to all union councils in the city.
Furthermore, Mengal said that if parents fail to produce vaccination cards at the time of school admission, their children would not be admitted to government schools.
The measures were taken in light of growing cases of polio and measles.
The DCO said that an awareness campaign will be launched throughout Punjab. The campaign will only be implemented in Lahore and if successful, it will be implemented throughout the province, he said.
Pakistan had 20,000 polio cases in 1994, a number which has been reduced to just 56 in 2012, after years of vigorous vaccination efforts.
COMMENTS (17)
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But there are always madrassahs! Well, there will be a whole cottage industry of creating fake birth certificates and vaccination certificates.
this is so stupid - using punishment instead of reward.
this is so stupid - using punisihment instead of reward.
@Imtiaz: wow, so this your logic. were indians and chinese able to control that, 1.2 Billion. Grow up.
Great move. this is how it is done in US and Europe.Being one of the 3 countries that still has virus, it is a great move.
A great step towards controlling population.. ;p
@Pro Truth: The same is enforced and followed in US very strictly. Additionally, if any child of school going age (I think it is 5 years old child) is found at home and not sent to school, the parents face jail time for not sending the child to school and also the children bay be taken in protective care.
Insane tactic to force children stay out of school, instead they should be vaccinated upon admission to school! Facilitate, dont create barriers.
Very good move .
No school admission?
I do not agree to this. . In places like Pakistan and India where parents would rather have their children support them as child laborers in trade, agriculture or home, it takes a lot of persuasion for such a parent to send their children to school. In India, central and state governments have been incetivizing parents to send their children to school by providing free mid-day meals (so that the parents are certain that their child will at least get one proper meal which they don't have to pay for), free bicycle (to go to a remote school), free textbooks, etc. . This step adopted by the Lahore city government adds an unnecessary barrier for an otherwise uninterested parent who is remotely interested in educating their child. . Yes, Polio must be eradicated on a war-footing in Pakistan but not at the cost of children's education.
Interesting measure. Statistically population growth will slow down, and the average IQ will go up.
So the children will be penalized twice for their parents' mistakes. First they don't get vaccinated, then they don't get admission in a school.... wonderful thinking.
Excellent measure, this needs to be implemented nationwide, although I think that most people in the tribal belts (which are worst hit by this disease) won't be as affected by this, but still it's a good step towards eliminating polio among our population
Commendable...concrete and practical step. Respect.
safety for others! good move.