To counter renewed outbreaks of polio and virus circulation in the region, the four-day polio campaign would be carried in towns and cities across the province including Torghar, Kohistan Upper, Kohistan Lower, Kolae-Palas, Shangla, Battagram, Abbottabad, Mansehra, Haripur, Charsadda and Mohmand.
The campaign will start from December 2 and will be continuing till December 5. The campaign will be followed by vaccination of missed children on the fifth day.
In the 11 districts, 1,193,615 children below the age of 5 years will be vaccinated by 5,220 teams comprising of 4,534 mobile teams, 453 fixed teams, 195 transit teams and 38 roaming teams.
EOC Coordinator Abdul Basit stated that anti-polio vaccines were the safest vaccines, that saved millions of children from paralysis in other countries.
He said that polio teams were tirelessly working to make vaccines available for children below the age of 5 years. He added, “It is the responsibility of parents and caregivers to ensure administration of polio vaccine to their children and save them and the children in their surroundings from the virus, lifelong paralysis and the hardships they might face due to it.”
He added that every child had the right to live a healthy life and hence, their parents and caregivers should think before deciding to put their children’s future and health at the risk of the crippling disease by missing or refusing vaccination.
District Torghar reported seven polio cases while District Shangla reported 1 polio case in 2019 so far. Moreover, count of polio cases in KP rose to 66 during 2019.