LAHORE - Punjab Emergency Operation Centre (EOC) Coordinator Ms Syedah Ramallah Ali has emphasised on parents to continue vaccinating children until polio is completely eradicated from Pakistan.
The call was made on Saturday at the pre-campaign polio National Immunisation Days (NIDs) activities organised at Mian Mir Hospital. In addition to the EOC coordinator, health officials of Lahore were also present.
The head of polio programme called on parents to cooperate with polio eradication teams going door to door in order ‘to protect children against the crippling disease’.
“Oral polio drops in every campaign and routine immunisation is the only way to protect children from polio virus. Owing to the recent outbreak in Pakistan, parents need to vaccinate their kids on time and in every campaign,” Ms Ramallah emphasised.
More than 20m children to be vaccinated in polio campaign starting from tomorrow
Ms Syedah Ramallah Ali disclosed that polio teams had been directed to pay special attention to vaccination of children belonging to high-risk groups in the very high-risk districts.
“Polio virus thrives amongst the most vulnerable communities and marginalised groups. The campaign will help boost immunity of children in under-served areas. Punjab Emergency Operation Centre has set up transit points to engage with mobile and migratory populations arriving from and departing to all parts of the country,” observed the EOC coordinator. Punjab plans to inoculate more than 20 million children in the national drive starting from tomorrow (August 22). Although Punjab is free of polio case since October 2020, but some of the sewage samples collected in July and August have tested positive.
The reemergence of the virus must send an urgent message to parents to ensure that children are administered two polio drops under every immunisation drive. Monsoon rain coupled with displacement of families due to floods pose serious challenges in achieving full vaccination of children in the imminent NIDs campaign. The Punjab government is mindful of the challenge and has adopted a pro-active approach toward this end.
The call was made on Saturday at the pre-campaign polio National Immunisation Days (NIDs) activities organised at Mian Mir Hospital. In addition to the EOC coordinator, health officials of Lahore were also present.
The head of polio programme called on parents to cooperate with polio eradication teams going door to door in order ‘to protect children against the crippling disease’.
“Oral polio drops in every campaign and routine immunisation is the only way to protect children from polio virus. Owing to the recent outbreak in Pakistan, parents need to vaccinate their kids on time and in every campaign,” Ms Ramallah emphasised.
More than 20m children to be vaccinated in polio campaign starting from tomorrow
Ms Syedah Ramallah Ali disclosed that polio teams had been directed to pay special attention to vaccination of children belonging to high-risk groups in the very high-risk districts.
“Polio virus thrives amongst the most vulnerable communities and marginalised groups. The campaign will help boost immunity of children in under-served areas. Punjab Emergency Operation Centre has set up transit points to engage with mobile and migratory populations arriving from and departing to all parts of the country,” observed the EOC coordinator. Punjab plans to inoculate more than 20 million children in the national drive starting from tomorrow (August 22). Although Punjab is free of polio case since October 2020, but some of the sewage samples collected in July and August have tested positive.
The reemergence of the virus must send an urgent message to parents to ensure that children are administered two polio drops under every immunisation drive. Monsoon rain coupled with displacement of families due to floods pose serious challenges in achieving full vaccination of children in the imminent NIDs campaign. The Punjab government is mindful of the challenge and has adopted a pro-active approach toward this end.