Staff Shortage: Polio drive postponed in nine districts

PESHAWAR:

The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) government has postponed its polio campaign in nine districts due to by-elections. The National Immunization Days started yesterday (Monday).

The next date for the immunisation drive will be announced after the elections on August 22. The districts which will miss out on vaccinations include DI Khan, Tank, Lakki Marwat, Hangu, Peshawar, Nowshera, Mardan, Swabi and Charsadda.

“District administration officials along with the police are focusing on providing security to the election staff and preparing for the by-polls, which is why it may not be possible to conduct the polio campaign in these districts,” said an official, requesting anonymity.

For other parts of the province, however, the health department has constituted 8,779 mobile teams for the drive. About 2.7 million children below the age of five will be vaccinated.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 20^th, 2013.