KARACHI: Enrolment in schools may be linked to vaccination
By Mukhtar Alam
KARACHI, Feb 17: Senior health officials on Saturday said the federal and provincial (Sindh) governments have agreed in principle to make production of vaccination card mandatory for admissions to primary schools.
The officials, along with senior WHO and Unicef representatives, were briefing newsmen about the government’s initiatives towards eradicating polio in Sindh. They claimed that polio had almost been rooted out.
Lt-Gen (r) Dr Masood Anwar, Chief Executive of the National Institute of Health, Islamabad, said government wanted to further increase the rate of routine vaccination and for that reason, it was considering to make it mandatory for parents to produce vaccination cards of their children for admission to primary schools.
Dr Anwar described the view that the vaccine affects human fertility system as misconception, and stressed that children under five must get vaccinated against polio during the special campaign or in their routine vaccination age.
Project Director of the Expanded Programme of Immunisation (EPI), Sindh, Dr Salma Kouser Ali, said that so far only two confirm and one contact polio cases had been detected in the province in 2007, and keeping in view the overall performance and targets achieved so far in Sindh, polio seemed to be on the verge of elimination.
Dr Altaf Bosan, EPI Deputy National Manager, said that Pakistan, which was among the four countries, others being India, Afghanistan and Nigeria, which were close to non-polio stage. Only 40 polio cases were reported in Pakistan over the past year.
He said, adding that in many cases, polio was reported to have migrated from other countries.
The Special Secretary, Sindh Health Department, Dr Abdul Majid, said that two of the four polio cases reported so far this year in Sindh originated in Afghanistan.
A circular has been issued to all EDOs Education impressing upon them to involve schoolchildren in the anti-polio drives during the national days on polio, and also tell their parents about the existence of vaccination centres close to their houses.
Officer In-charge of Unicef in Sindh Dr Asif Aslam said that substantial reduction in polio cases had been noted in Pakistan. A polio-free Sindh is around, he remarked, and emphasised the role of media in the war against polio. He noted that it was necessary to reach all families with a message of immunisation.
Dr Nima Abid of the WHO called for a clear commitment and social mobilisation on the subject of polio.
KARACHI, Feb 17: Senior health officials on Saturday said the federal and provincial (Sindh) governments have agreed in principle to make production of vaccination card mandatory for admissions to primary schools.
