ISLAMABAD, May 17 (APP): The government has planned to launch a nationwide immunization campaign from May 23 to May 29 on emergency basis, taking notice of report of three fresh polio cases.
“Unlike previous drives which were limited to some areas, this campaign will be launched in all areas of the country,” the spokesperson of the Ministry of Health said on Tuesday.
On the occasion, Minister for Health Qadir Patel said, “The government is committed to eradicating polio and focusing on well-coordinated efforts at both the federal and provincial level to realize the dream of making Pakistan a polio-free country”.
He stressed the important role of parents and caregivers in the success of repeated vaccination campaigns. He said, “It’s every Pakistani’s national duty to ensure that their own children, as well as children around them, are administered the polio vaccine in each campaign”.
He said that the wild polio virus remains in the environment in certain districts, posing a threat to the resurgence in cases. “We are calling all parents and caregivers to cooperate with vaccinators as no child is safe until all children are vaccinated.”
He said that the polio vaccine is safe, and it helps to build immunity among children against the polio virus. The polio vaccination campaigns are imperative for building immunity among children and preventing possible death or lifelong paralysis, he added.
He said, “Unvaccinated children are at risk and we need to ensure all eligible children are vaccinated during each campaign to build their immunity against diseases. It is time to be more vigilant to reach the target of polio-free Pakistan.”
