ISLAMABAD: The government has decided to start a nationwide immunization campaign from May 23 to May 29, keeping in view the reporting of three polio cases this year.
According to the Ministry of Health spokesperson, previous drives were limited to some areas but this campaign will be launched in all areas of the country.
In a message, Minister for Health Qadir Patel said, “Government of Pakistan remains 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 is every Pakistani’s national duty to ensure that their own children and others are administered the polio vaccine in each campaign.
He said that the wild poliovirus 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.”
READ MORE: Pakistan reports third polio case this year
He said that the polio vaccine is safe and it helps to build immunity among children against the poliovirus. 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 they need to ensure all eligible children are vaccinated during each campaign “It is time to be more vigilant to reach the target of polio-free Pakistan.”
Three cases
This campaign comes as Pakistan reported the third polio case this year after a one-year-old boy was found affected with the virus in North Waziristan.
According to a statement issued by the Ministry of Health, the wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) was confirmed in the boy from Miranshah on May 15 by the polio laboratory at the National Institute of Health, Islamabad. It has been learned that the boy was not administered anti-polio drops during the recent campaign.
Pakistan has reported three cases of polio this year so far – all from North Waziristan. After staying polio-free for almost 15 months, Pakistan reported its first two cases of the virus on April 22 and April 30. The victims, a 15-month-old boy and a two-year-old girl, belonged to the Mir Ali tehsil of the tribal district.
Health Secretary Aamir Ashraf Khawaja said that the ministry had feared an uptick in the cases after the first was reported. He expressed concern that there may be more cases until every child is vaccinated.
