RAWALPINDI: The district administration has finalised arrangements for the 12-day anti-measles campaign starting on Oct 15 during which 800,000 children would be vaccinated.

This was stated at a workshop, ‘Role of media in anti-measles campaign’ held at a local hotel on Tuesday.

The health officials informed the participants that all hospitals had been asked to allocate two beds in their wards for measles patients.

Media urged to create awareness about vaccination during 12-day campaign starting from Oct 15

They said 1,034 ambulances would be used to go to door to door in all the seven tehsils of the district.

District Health Officer (DHO) Dr Uzma Hayat said the health department faced problems in such drives and had decided to seek help of political leadership.

She said political leaders had been requested to create awareness among the citizens about the anti-measles vaccination. She said the anti-measles vaccination was safe and aimed at protecting health of children.

Other speakers on the occasion urged the media to highlight the issue of measles and inform the people that the vaccination was safe and meant to protect the children from the disease.

Media should create awareness among the citizens about the importance of the anti-measles vaccination and play an effective role to discourage any propaganda against it.

They said measles had emerged as an epidemic in 2012-13 and claimed the lives of over 500 children across the country. For the effective control of measles, a campaign will be launched across the province from Oct 15 and children aged between six months and seven years will be given booster dose of measles vaccination.

Punjab Public Relations Additional Director General Dr Mohammad Aslam Dogar said media had played a leading role in creating awareness about measles. This disease emerged as an epidemic in recent years and claimed the lives of 500 children and now this is the challenge for the nation to uproot this fatal disease.

“We cannot fight against measles in an effective manner without the active support of the media.” He said media should encourage the citizens to get their children vaccinated against measles and at the same time any propaganda against this should be discouraged.

Paediatric Association President Prof Dr Mohammad Asghar said 15,000 teams, each consisting of four officials, would take part in the campaign.

He said special camps would be set up at the mohallah and street levels and 3,550 medical officers would monitor the teams. The emergency service 1122 and 1034 will be on alert at the union council level.

Public Relations Rawalpindi Director Hamid Javaid Awan said media had played a positive and constructive role during all such campaigns. He said whether it was anti-dengue or polio drives the media had created awareness in the public through news stories, special awareness editions, articles and public service messages on electronic media.

Published in Dawn, October 10th, 2018