The vaccinators will go to primary schools as well. PHOTO: FILE
The government will start a drive to vaccinate up to 12 million children against measles in 12 districts on Monday, as it seeks to curb an epidemic that has killed 170 and infected almost 20,000 in the province over the last six months.
The campaign will target children aged between six months and 10 years in Faisalabad, Sheikhupura, Gujranwala, Okara, Kasur, Muzaffargarh, Layyah, Mianwali, Rajanpur, Bhakkar, Rahim Yar Khan and Dera Ghazi Khan. It will continue till July 4.
People in these districts will be able to get their children vaccinated at the nearest health centre or by mobile teams. The vaccinators will go to primary schools as well. The targeted children will also be given vitamin A drops, said the Health Department spokesman. The department has set a target of 12 million vaccinations, he added.
A vaccination drive was held in Lahore in early May and other districts in the province are to be covered later. Meanwhile, the number of confirmed measles cases continues to grow.
Eighty-nine new cases were reported on Sunday, including 26 in Lahore, taking the total to 19,192 in the province.
Most of the fatalities from the disease have occurred in Lahore, Gujranwala, Rajanpur, Rahim Yar Khan, Kasur and Sialkot.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 24th, 2013.
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Measles epidemics or Biological assault on children, the generation to come. Otherwise this type of diseases are since hundred of years in this region, but no one died with measles just a few with chicken pox rather. Are there more diseases in Que?