Polio drive in Punjab, Sindh begins today.

ISLAMABAD -- A polio vaccination campaign to immunise more than 21.54 million children under the age of five will kick off in Sindh and Punjab today (Monday).

The five-day campaign is being held in two phases this time as it coincides with the population census. In the first phase, over 17.41m children in 13 districts of Punjab, and 16 districts of Sindh and Islamabad, will be vaccinated from March 13 to March 17.

The second phase will be held from April 3 to 7 - during the second week of Ramazan - to vaccinate more than 4.12m children in 12 districts of Balochistan and 26 districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, including the seven endemic districts in the province's southern region.

Federal Health Minister Abdul Qadir Patel, in a statement, has urged parents and care-givers to ensure their children receive the life-saving polio vaccine so that they remain protected from poliovirus.

'The presence of wild polio in the environment shows that the virus is circulating in our communities and posing a serious risk to our children,' said Mr Patel. 'With Ramazan and Eid around the corner, population movements can increase the risk of further spread. Therefore, it is critical that parents and care-givers vaccinate their children in this and every campaign,' he said.

'We have specifically designed this March campaign to reach areas where population movement is not just frequent but also expected during Ramazan and Eid holidays,' said Dr Shahzad Baig, an official at the National Emergency Operations Centre. '

It is essential that we reach as many children as...

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