IPV campaign: 5,935 refusals in last polio drive

At least 6,934 could not be inoculated as they were not home

PESHAWAR: Parents of 5,935 children refused inoculation for their children during an inactivated polio vaccine (IPV) campaign in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.

A health official privy to the matter said the seven-day campaign was carried out in 20 districts across the province where besides those who refused, an additional 6,934 children could not be immunised as they were not available during the door-to-door drives.

He said majority of the refusals came from Charsadda, DI Khan, Mardan and Swabi districts, adding the department will conduct follow-up campaigns until all the children of K-P are vaccinated.

“Refusals have been a recurring part of our campaigns but have never bogged us down because we have the support of locals as well as the district administrations,” the health official said, adding repeated campaigns have reduced the number of poliovirus cases significantly.



“IPV refusals are fewer than oral polio vaccine refusals,” a senior health official said. He added the OPV campaign was carried out in all union councils but IPV was carried out only in high-risk UCs.

Another health official, who is also part of the Expanded Immunization Programme (EPI), said IPV campaigns will be carried out in Karak and Mansehra soon after Eidul Fitr, adding the campaign has already been conducted in Bannu and Peshawar.

Chitral was also not included since it did not have any high-risk UCs. As many as 417,000 children were administered the IPV by 1,792 polio workers during the campaign.

On May 6, health department officials announced IPV campaigns in addition to administering polio drops on the recommendation of the World Health Organization. The international health watchdog said those countries only using OPVs should also administer at least one doze of IPV to every child. Children who have already been vaccinated via the OPV will also receive IPV doses.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 23^rd, 2015.