Over 5m Children To Get Vaccination In Anti-Polio Campaign.

LAHORE -- The Sub-National Immunization Days was launched here on Monday under which more than five million children under the age of five will be administered anti-polio drops.

The campaign is being held in seven districts of Punjab including Lahore, Faisalabad, Rawalpindi, DG Khan, Bahawalpur, Mianwali and Layyah. In Lahore, Rawalpindi and Faisalabad the campaign will take place for seven days i.e from June 27 to July 3, with two days dedicated to reaching 'not available' children. While in Dera Ghazi Khan, Layyah, Bahawalpur and Mianwali the campaign will be held in selected union councils for five days, also with two days dedicated to reaching Not Available children.

The SNIDs will see the participation of some 39,000 polio workers. This includes 3104 area in-charges, 923 union council supervisors, 15950 mobile team members, 1225 fixed team members and over 647 transit team members.

Punjab Emergency Operations Center (EOC) has deployed experts from all areas to facilitate preparedness and implementation of polio campaign in priority areas.

'Punjab has been free of polio cases since October 2020 while environmental samples have tested negative for Wild Polio Virus since May 2021. Nevertheless, this success will remain fragile unless and until polio is completely eradicated from both Pakistan and Afghanistan', said the head of the polio programme Ms Syedah Ramallah Ali.

'In light of the fact that Pakistan suffered new polio cases, Punjab is fully cognizant of its potential impact of on the province and remains committed to eradicating polio', pledged the Punjab polio programme head.

'The focus must remain on implementing and delivering high quality campaigns. We need to vaccinate 100 percent of children in order to achieve population immunity and prevent circulation if we are to eradicate the virus from infected zones', said Ms Ramallah.

The head of polio prorgramme further said that to realize this level of coverage, local communities must understand that polio vaccinations are safe and that parents can trust the programme.

minister inaugurates

anti-polio campaign

Punjab Health Minister Khawaja Salman Rafique on Monday inaugurated a seven-day anti-polio campaign by administering vaccine to children in Union Council-83.

The minister also visited a dispensary at UC-83 and inspected medical facilities. He said that more than five million children in seven districts of the province would be vaccinated against polio, adding that more than...