LANDI KOTAL: An anti-polio drive will start across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Fata from Jan 16 (Monday).

In Landi Kotal, Director Health Services, Fata, Dr Jawad Habib inaugurated the polio vaccination campaign in Khyber Agency by administering anti-polio vaccine to children at Jamrud civil hospital on Friday.

He acknowledged the services of health workers and political administration in making the previous vaccination campaign a success as no new polio case had emerged in Khyber Agency since November last year.

The upcoming anti-polio campaign has gained significance in Khyber Agency in the wake of the death of five children during the previous campaign after which questions were raised about the efficacy of the polio vaccine.

Meanwhile, elders of Kamar Khel tribe in Bara and parents of the children who died during the previous campaign have announced their support to the polio vaccination campaign.

Parents refusing vaccination to their children to be jailed

Speaking at a meeting, they also expressed confidence in the medical tests conducted on blood samples of the deceased children and said the deaths were caused due to other ailments.

The health officials apprised the elders that the polio vaccine had no side effects even after its expiry.

In Lakki Marwat, district health officer Dr Abdul Ghaffar Wazir inaugurated the polio campaign by administering oral polio vaccine to children at the government city hospital in Lakki city.

On the occasion, DC Mohammad Bakhtiar Khan directed polio workers to ensure that each child was vaccinated.

Also in the day, Mr Bakhtiar chaired a meeting at his office to review arrangements for polio campaign. He took serious notice of the absence from meeting the officials of partner organisations.

An official told the meeting that the health department had completed the process of imparting training to polio workers and area in-charges.

In Timergara, Lower Dir Deputy Commissioner Irfanullah Wazir on Friday warned health department officials and the chairmen of union council polio eradication committees of legal action if they were found negligent in the upcoming national polio immunisation drive.

He was chairing a meeting to review arrangements for the polio campaign. District health officer Shaukat Ali informed the meeting that 289,000 children would be vaccinated.

The deputy commissioner asked the participants to pinpoint the parents which did not cooperate with health officials, warning the refusing parents would be sent to jail.

Published in Dawn, January 14th, 2017