Measles control: Vaccination campaign from tomorrow

Children aged 6 months to 10 years to be vaccinated in schools.

LAHORE:

Health Secretary Arif Nadim has said a special mass vaccination campaign against measles is being launched in Lahore from April 29 to May 5.

Presiding over a micro-planning review meeting on anti-measles campaign, he said children would be vaccinated against measles in all government and private schools. He said schools, which would refuse to have children vaccinated against measles, would be closed.
The meeting was attended by deputy health district officers of all towns, DCO Syed Rizwan Mehboob, Additional Health Secretary (Admin) Azmat Mehmood, Additional Health Secretary (Tech) Anwar Janjua, Health Director General Tanvir Ahmad, Health EDO Zulfiqar Ali, Health EPI Director Munir Ahmad and DGPR News Director Rai Nazar Hayat.

The health secretary informed the meeting children from six months to ten years of age would be vaccinated by 900 vaccinators. This facility would be provided in all government hospitals of Lahore. Health workers would also visit every union council.

The health secretary said a public awareness campaign regarding anti-measles vaccination should be carried out through banners and streamers and by announcements from mosques.

Mehboob told the meeting that all TMA officers had been assigned duties and a campaign would be launched from April 29 to May 5.

Dr Zulfiqar Ali pointed out that 600 mobile and 265 stationed teams had been formed for vaccination. He said an epidemic control room had also been established at the Health EDO office (Phone no 042-99237028). He said each of these teams would vaccinate approximately 350 children on a day. He said special attention would be paid to ensure proper monitoring of anti-measles campaign. The deputy district officer health of each town would be held responsible for any negligence. He also emphasised the need for publicity of anti-measles campaign.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 28^th, 2013.