Comprehensive Drive: ‘10 million children to get measles shots’

Public seminars will be held from June 14 to encourage people to participate in the drive, says DCO.

DERA GHAZI KHAN:

As many as 10 million children will be vaccinated against measles in a campaign in 11 districts of the Punjab starting from June 14.

Speaking at a meeting here on Thursday, District Coordination Officer Ali Bahadur Qazi said training sessions for the staff will be organised from June 16 to June 19.

He said public seminars would be held from June 14 to encourage as many people as possible to participate in the drive.

The high-risk districts include Dera Ghazi Khan, Bhakkar, Faisalabad, Layyah, Muzaffargarh, Rajanpur, Mianwali, Rahim Yar Khan, Sheikhupura, Okara and Gujranwala.

The first phase of the campaign will start on June 24. As many as 500,000 schools and seminaries would remain open during the campaign. The district coordination officers and education executive officers have been asked to ensure participation of school staff and students.

The teachers have been instructed to ensure that as many students as possible attend school from July 1 to July 4. Religious seminaries, too, would remain open.

The campaign is not limited measles vaccination. Children up to 10 years of age will be vaccinated against nine diseases including gastroenteritis malaria and polio.

The campaign will start from rural areas and the tribal area in the south of Punjab.

Special vaccinated centres have been set up for the children who will not at school during the campaign.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 15^th, 2013.