BAHAWALPUR: As many as 249 parents in the three districts of Bahawalpur, Bahawalnagar and Rahim Yar Khan declined to get their children vaccinated against polio during the recent five-day-long vaccination campaign by health department teams.

As per the data collected by these teams during the campaign that ended on Friday last, some of parents who refused to have their children vaccinated against the crippling disease in the three districts were well-educated.

The most common reason for refusing the vaccine by the parents was the misconception that it might harm their children.

The campaign data shows that maximum refusals — 172 — were listed in R Y Khan, followed by 44 in Bahawalnagar and 33 in Bahawalpur districts.

The anti-polio campaign coordinator, Dr Muhmamad Zakir, confirming the number of refusals to Dawn, said that on receiving such reports the officials concerned contacted the parents declining the vaccination and persuaded many of them to have their children vaccinated.

Citing an example, Dr Zakir said that out of the 33 parents who refused in Bahawalpur, 30 were later convinced to get their children vaccinated against polio by the officials.

Regarding the remaining three parents, he expressed the hope that they too would be convinced to get their children vaccinated. Dr Zakir disclosed that one of the man who did not allow vaccination of his children was a lawyer by profession who might be personally contacted by Deputy Commissioner Shozeb Saeed to convince him.

He said that during the recent drive over 0.7 million children were administered anti-polio drops in Bahawalpur district alone.

MINOR ASSAULTED: Two teenage boys allegedly subjected a five-year-old girl to sexual assault near Bangla Qasimwala in the limits of Derawar police station, about 70kms from here in Cholistan desert.

According to district police, the suspects lured the minor who was playing near her house to nearby sand dunes, where they allegedly raped her.

The suspects fled the scene after committing the crime, leaving the minor injured there. Alerted by her cries some passersby spotted her and informed the police.

She was immediately rushed to Yazman Tehsil Headquarters Hospital, where her condition was said to be serious.

Police claimed to have arrested both suspects.

Published in Dawn, January 28th, 2019