Anti-polio campaign: Parents of over 6,000 children in K-P refuse to inoculate children

4,000 of these children are from Peshawar district

PESHAWAR: The parents of over 6,000 children, 4,000 of whom are from Peshawar district, have refused to inoculate their children against polio virus.

The refusals were recorded during the first two days of a three-day anti-polio campaign held in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (K-P),

While the data for the third day is yet to be compiled, the number of parents refusing the vaccine for their children is likely to rise, health officials stated.

The campaign kicked off on Monday, April 13, and concluded on April 15.

A follow-up campaign will however be held on Thursday, April 16, to inoculate the remaining children.

A health official said that while the number of refusal cases are being recorded, they are yet to obtain the number of missing children and children who were not present when polio teams visit their homes.

The official, who requested anonymity, also said that the number of refusals has dropped from 13,000 to about 8,000 and further decreased to 6,000 in a period of two months.

The number of refusal cases will be brought to zero, the official assured, as the provincial government has ordered to take action against those refusing to vaccinate their children.

"People have been arrested in the past for refusing drops for their children in a number of districts. However, since we have a large number of children under the age of five in Peshawar, the number of parents arrested in this region is also high compared to other districts," the health official said.