ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: A vaccination campaign to immunize more than 24 million children under the age of five against poliovirus is beginning in 91 districts of the Country from Monday.
The campaign is being held in Islamabad, 10 districts of Punjab, 24 districts of Sindh, 26 districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and 30 districts of Balochistan, during which polio teams will go house-to-house bringing the crucial oral polio vaccine with them.
The Prime Minister’s Coordinator on the National Health Services Dr. Malik Mukhtar Ahmed Bharath said that the government is committed to ensuring that all children are protected from this terrible disease.
“Poliovirus has been detected in multiple sewage samples in the country in recent months which means this virus remains a serious threat to children’s wellbeing,” said Dr. Bharat, adding that this disease has no cure and the only way to protect children is to vaccinate.
“We are sending polio teams to your homes, so make sure to open your door to vaccinators and get your child vaccinated,” he added.
The Coordinator of the National Emergency Operations Center for Polio Eradication Dr. Shahzad Baig said that this is a critical campaign being held in districts with high risk of poliovirus spread.
“We have detected the virus in over 31 districts this year, which is why we are continuing to implement regular vaccination campaigns in all high-risk districts to ensure that children have the immunity to fight off polio infection,” he said.
