Express News screen grab of Tarar from the press conference.
Speaking to the media on Wednesday, Minister of State for National Health Services, Regulation and Coordination Saira Afzal Tarar said that WHO had been asked to give the government 15 days to devise a clear strategy on the matter.
The WHO on Monday recommended that travel restrictions be placed on Pakistan, Cameroon and Syria for being the only three countries that are currently exporting wild poliovirus. Tarar dismissed the development and the requirement for certificates as "no big deal" and said that there are no travel restrictions on Pakistanis.
The government is working towards clearing the prevalent confusion regarding travel restrictions, said Tarar, who was speaking after a key meeting with all provincial health ministers and representatives of health departments.
“We just spoke with the WHO head, and have asked him to give us 15 days to devise a strategy,” Tarar said.
We also told him to announce internationally that for the next 15 days Pakistani passengers should not asked to present proof of vaccination, she added.
Clearing the confusion about people with foreign passports, she said: “People who intend to stay in Pakistan for over four weeks should be vaccinated.”
She also added that Pakistani citizens traveling abroad will be provided with polio vaccine certificates free of charge.
Tarar also took the opportunity to inform the media that the provincial governments are working towards providing security to polio workers, adding that polio vaccination centres will be set up in each province.
“Rs80 crore will be spent annually on polio vaccinations,” she added.
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What a farce, Is everyone blind? vaccinations are nothing but poisons. So they want to make money by giving you guys it? and lets not forget how dangerous these are. Bill Gates’ Polio Vaccine Program Caused 47,500 Cases of Paralysis Death. see it for yourself. http://nsnbc.me/2013/05/08/bill-gates-polio-vaccine-program-caused-47500-cases-of-paralysis-death/ 98 million Americans were given polio vaccine contaminated with cancer-causing virus, admits CDC
Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/041345cdcpoliovaccinesv40.html#ixzz35B9b7DWf Get serious educate yourselves before its to late...
I do not believe that vaccination of adults will help in eliminating poliomyelitis virus. Let me explain why: The virus enters through the mouth and multiplies in the throat and gastrointestinal tract, then moves into the bloodstream and is carried to the central nervous system where it replicates and destroys the motor neuron cells. Motor neurons control the muscles for swallowing, circulation, respiration, and the trunk, arms, and legs. Allah made our immune system which protects itself and other cells by producing antibodies that engage the poliovirus, covering them and preventing the virus from interacting with another cells. What the vaccine does is to put a polio virus into our body in an in-active state, so that our immune system recognises the virus from an early stage, and can produce the anti-bodies later in our life, if we are attacked with the Virus. An adult is less likely to get infected, but by taking the vaccine he has high risks of getting VAPP, Vaccine associated paralytic polio, and this is common with people with low immune systems. Statistics shows that proper hygiene was responsible for the elimination of the disease and not any vaccine. While I was in Sudan, the govt. there would spend millions of malaria medicine, but would not bother to open drains and make way for rain water. There would be a puddle of water in front of every house. Proper hygiene and mothers milk is the best vaccine against any infection. But we are ruled by business enterprises who want to make a dime even out of our crap.
Instead of working to vaccinate people against the disease , the government will concentrate on printing certificates, as its much easier. Also fake vacccination certificates will join other fakes from pakistan : currency, degree, passport etec.
Late Latif!
What is the regulation for Pakistani Expatiates already outside Pakistan, will they be required to produce this certificate when they travel to europe or america??
Rs 80 crore on polio vaccation, 52 billion on jangla bus service and 5 billion on laptops for votes.
She is shamelessly happy about her incompetence.
Is it just me or was she sleeping before this? Never saw her anywhere in news before. Didnt even know we had a ministry that looks into Polio eradication
I don't get why you people are making such a fuss over this. Polio vaccination has always been free, it's not the governments fault they've been unable to eradicate the disease; they've tried their level best but they've faced considerable resistance, something that has never happened in other countries. And since the polio vaccination is free, we should trust on the certificates to be free too. So please, grow up and try to fully understand the situation. It's very easy to point fingers.
Minister is laughing and saying not a big deal. Nothing is big deal in Pakistan, even human life is not a big deal. Shame on these incompetent and arrogant leaders. They have created such a mess which will take decades to clean up.
Pakistan as a nation is going in reverse gear!
A matter of shame
Why this time period of 15 days? Pakistani polio viruses would be on leave or some kind of strike for these 15 days or what? And please award the vaccination certificate only to those who have genuinely been vaccinated.
"Tarar dismissed the development and the requirement for certificates as “no big deal” and said that there are no travel restrictions on Pakistanis."
Apparently, Pakistanis being restricted cause they spread disease isn't a big deal.
Minister of State for National Health Services, Regulation and Coordination: The title is like T-Rex of the title world, it eats the other titles for fun. The honorable minister also deserves some media time, after all people should know the face of the person who has been 'quietly' working behind the scenes only to be disturbed by this Dr.WHO!!
The government should be ashamed of itself. If India having a population of over 1.2 Billion can become polio free, having its own troubles of nexiles and other movement, why can't Pakistan be polio free....
The government requested the World Health Organisation (WHO) to announce that Pakistani travellers should not be asked for polio vaccination certificates for the next 15 days
The priority here is seeking more exemptions, even as Pakistan was aware of this problem for the last two years at least. It does not matter if, as a result of this exemption, some children get paralyzed for life.
Most western countries do not have a health counter. Where and whom are the Pakistanis going to show the certificate??
The government requested the World Health Organisation (WHO) to announce that Pakistani travellers should not be asked for polio vaccination certificates for the next 15 days
Who will be responsible if some children are paralyzed for life by this leniency ? But since when did Pakistanis care for women and children ?
Finally the confusion regarding passengers travelling within the next two weeks is cleared.I know a lot of people were going crazy with confusion and so were travel agents.
this is Pakistan....the certificate is free but it will not be 'freely' available..
I don't know what ia to laugh about, ma'm minister. To the point, free vaccination, i seriously doubt.... I can see money making venture for someone with an influence, yes!
I think the other countries should set up the vaccination stations in their own embassies instead of relying on certificates issued by hospitals in Pakistan.
'Not a big deal' - that says a lot.