Anti-polio drive to start from August 13 across country  

ISLAMABAD: Federal government has decided to launch an anti-polio campaign in the country from August 13.

According to sources, the campaign would be launched in 130 districts of the country including parts of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK).

Sources further said a three-day campaign will be launched in most of the districts, adding that anti-polio immunization drive will last for five days in Karachi, Peshawar, Khyber and Quetta blocks.

Overall 34.4 million children would be administered polio drops during the drive, sources said adding 225,000 polio workers will take part in the drive. There would be a catch-up day during the campaign aimed at vaccinating children left behind during the drive, sources added.

The campaign will begin on August 13 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province, where 4.56 million children would be administered polio drops during the drive.

The polio immunization drive would be launched in Punjab and Sindh province on August 15, covering 9.26 million children in 41 districts of Sindh and 17.86 million children in 33 districts of the Punjab province.

The anti-polio campaign will begin on 17 August in Balochistan and AJK, covering 2.1 million children in 25 districts of the former area.

The sources said that strict COVID-19 SOPs would be followed during the anti-polio campaign as workers have been provided with adequate training for the purpose.

Vitamin A drops will also be administered during the immunization campaign to the children between the age of six months to six years, sources informed.