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RAWALPINDI, Dec 12 (APP):Two environmental samples collected from Rawalpindi district have tested positive for Wild Poliovirus Type-1 (WPV1). The positive samples were obtained from Dhok Dalal and Safdarabad.
Chief Executive Officer (CEO), District Health Authority Rawalpindi, Dr. Ehsan Ghani confirmed APP the detection and termed the positive environmental samples an alert for the district as well as the province, indicating circulation of the virus.
He said despite the alert, the district’s performance remains satisfactory as more than 95% coverage was achieved during all recent campaigns and the target of vaccinating over 750,000 children under five years of age has been fully met.
Dr. Ehsan Ghani highlighted that routine immunization has been further strengthened in 25–45 high-risk union councils and vaccinators have been strictly instructed to ensure no child from birth to two years remains unvaccinated.
“During the recent Measles-Rubella campaign, Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV) drops were also administered to children aged from birth to five years across the district”, he said.
To a question pertaining to year’s last polio drive, Dr. Ghani informed that more than 4,500 teams will be deployed in the field to vaccinate approximately 800,000 children, starting from 15 December across the district.
The health chief expressed optimism, saying that due to the intensity of ongoing interventions, environmental samples are expected to turn negative in the coming month. He added that samples from another sensitive site, Taxila, have consistently remained negative.
However, reasoning towards the positive samples, Dr. Ghani explained that the risk remains high because of large-scale population movement and daily turnover of 4–6% from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, southern Punjab, Sindh and Balochistan and even within Punjab.
“People coming from these areas often settle temporarily anywhere in the district, and if any of them are carrying the virus, it can be shed and spread locally”, he added.
APP observed that
Dhoke Dallal site remained negative till October this year, returns to positive status and Safdar Abad site continues its streak of critical as it has been positive nearly every month since May.
According to the details, during the first quarter of the running year, the district remained stable but in May, WPV1 circulation came in visible mode.
The CEO Health maintained that all best possible efforts were being put to turn the district negative.