MANSEHRA: Officials of the health department and district administrations of Mansehra, Torghar, Kohistan and Khyber districts inaugurated the measles and rubella vaccination campaign on Friday.

In Mansehra, deputy commissioner Qasim Ali Khan told the inaugural ceremony that the government was committed to protecting children from measles and rubella. He said that they would try their best to reach and vaccinate every child between nine months and 15 years of age in the district.

District health officer Dr Mushtaq Tanoli and EPI district coordinator Dr Nasir Ali Kakakhel also attended the function.

Mr Kakakhel said that as many as 442 special teams were constituted to administer the injectable vaccines to 744,021 children across the district. He said the teams would administer vaccines to children at camps established at prominent places and health facilities.

Torghar deputy commissioner Mohammad Fawad inaugurated the measles and rubella campaign in Judbah. The ceremony was held at the basic health unit where officials of the health department also showed up.

Upper Kohistan additional deputy commissioner Zakir Hussain also inaugurated the measles drive at the rural health centre at Dasu. Speaking on the occasion, he said that during the drive as many as 103,034 children would be administered the vaccines across the district.

In Khyber, health officials in collaboration with the district administration inaugurated the campaign by administering vaccines to two children in Khyber House on Friday.

Officials said that as many as 500,000 children would be inoculated against the viral diseases during the campaign from Nov 15 to 27.

They said that 348 health teams, each consisting of four health workers, had been constituted for the vaccination campaign. The facility will also be available in the hospitals across Khyber district, they added.

Speaking on the occasion, Khyber deputy commissioner Mansoor Arshad said that foolproof security arrangements had been made for the health workers.

He said security apprehensions had now been removed and people’s confidence restored due to stringent arrangements by the Khyber police and the security forces.

Dr Muhibullah Wazir, coordinator for the 13-day campaign, said that around 200,000 children below the age of five would also be administered polio drops.

Published in Dawn, November 13th, 2021