QUETTA: At least 1.3 million children of less than five years will be vaccinated against poliovirus during a three-day campaign that is set to commence on Monday.

Balochistan Emergency Operation Centre Coordinator Dr Saifur Rehman said at a meeting that the campaign would be carried out in 12 districts of the province, including the high-risk areas.

“Around 395 fixed and 210 transit points have been selected where 3,619 workers will perform duty to vaccinate more than 1.3m children,” he said.

Dr Rehman said the authorities were focussing on curbing the transmission of the virus from Afghanistan and children up to the age of 10 years would be vaccinated at the Friendship Gate on the Chaman border.

He said strict security measures had been taken to prevent any untoward incident during the campaign.

“Frontier Corps and Pakistan Army troops will be deployed in sensitive areas of the province during the anti-polio drive.”

The official said the campaign in Jhal Magsi district, to vaccinate about 31,000 children, would be launched on May 3 because by-elections for a National Assembly seat were being held there.

“The vaccination campaign will begin in accordance with the schedule in Qila Saifullah, Qila Abdullah, Naseerabad, Jaffarabad, Pishin, Loralai, Dera Bugti, Lasbela, Sherani, Quetta, Zhob and several other areas.”

Dr Rehman urged the media and religious scholars to encourage parents to get their children vaccinated.

Published in Dawn, April 25th, 2016