PESHAWAR, June 11: Most people are unaware of the significance of polio vaccination because of poor awareness campaigns on the crippling ailment, according to a study conducted by a student. “A majority of the people interviewed (65.6 per cent) were found unaware about polio vaccination and national immunisation days (NIDs),” says the study conducted by Hamidullah Khan, student of zoology department, University of Peshawar.

The study to assess the polio vaccination coverage and the people’s knowledge about the NIDs and the Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI) is part of his thesis for MSc examination.

Conducted in Bajaur Agency, it was aimed at ascertaining the level of people’s satisfaction with the EPI, polio eradication programme, and the role of print and electronic media, announcements from mosques about vaccination and poster display.

A total of 5,043 people were interviewed in 500 households in Shinkotai, Dabar and Sewai villages of Bajaur Agency. The vaccination coverage was found to be 97 per cent in children aged up to five years and 96.40 per cent in those aged up to six months.

Among the three per cent children missed during the NIDs, five children (13.89 per cent) were found unvaccinated by mobile teams, 17 children (47.22 per cent) were out of their houses during the campaign whereas the parents of 14 children (38.89 per cent) refused to get their children vaccinated.

Thus, non-availability of children at home during the NIDs and parents’ refusal were found major issues hindering the anti-polio drive.

The study said that 86.6 per cent people interviewed declared the polio eradication programme satisfactory whereas 13.4 per cent had misconceptions and apprehensions about the safeness of the vaccine.

Most of the people cited lack of awareness campaign as a major reason for unawareness of the people. Ninety-eight per cent of those interviewed said that announcements of polio vaccination had not been made from mosques in their areas.