LAHORE: Vaccination of children up to five years of age against polio began in Punjab on Monday as part of a five-day national campaign for the eradication of the crippling virus.

More than 18.5 million children up to five years of age would be vaccinated in Punjab during this door-to-door campaign of low transmission season for 2017-18, said Minister for Primary and Secondary Healthcare Khawaja Imran Nazir.

“The launch of the campaign in Lahore was delayed for one day due to by-election in a National Assembly constituency. It will begin in Lahore from today. The Punjab government wants to reach and vaccinate every single child before we enter into polio high risk season,” said Khawaja Imran.

Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department Secretary Ali Jan Khan said the campaign would be implemented more aggressively in Rawalpindi, Lahore and South Punjab.

Over 44,000 teams tasked with vaccinating 18.5m children

“A polio case in Lodhran and consistent positive environmental samples in Rawalpindi indicate that children are more vulnerable in these districts,” he said.

Punjab’s Emergency Operation Coordinator Dr Munir Ahmed said more than 44,000 teams had been formed for the task.

Teams would also be deployed at major bus stands, inter-provincial borders, airports, railway stations and hospitals, said Dr Munir while adding that parents may contact helpline 0800-99000 if polio teams do not turn up in their areas.

Pakistan recorded 20 polio cases in 2016 with eight each in Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, two each in Fata and Balochistan. Punjab has had no case in 2016. Globally, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Nigeria are the three countries still having polio cases.

Reporting of a polio case in Lodhran and the persistent presence of polio virus in the environmental samples collected from Multan necessitated launch of a vigorous vaccination campaign in 11 districts of Punjab in March this year.

More than 5.9m children up to five years of age were vaccinated against polio during the three-day campaign launched in Dera Ghazi Khan, Muzaffargarh, Rajanpur, Khanewal, Lodhran, Toba Tek Singh, Vehari, Bahawalpur, Rahim Yar Khan, Multan and 37 union councils of Sahiwal.

Published in Dawn, September 19th, 2017