WORLD Immunisation Week, which ends today, is a poignant annual reminder of how much remains to be done to protect millions of children globally against vaccine-preventable diseases. Aptly themed ‘the big catch-up’ for this year, the aim is to focus on children who have missed out on routine vaccinations during the long period of Covid-19 and to try and restore immunisation to at least pre-pandemic levels. Pakistan, too, is making an effort in this direction but Covid-19 has aggravated the situation, and added thousands to the existing number of unvaccinated or partially vaccinated children. Routine immunisation in the country has presented a mixed picture. For instance, figures for Punjab, from a couple of years ago, show almost 90pc vaccination coverage in the province, but the story is grimmer in Balochistan where only 37pc of the eligible group has reportedly been vaccinated. Globally, the national average places Pakistan in the category of countries with the largest numbers of unvaccinated children — this despite the fact that the Expanded Programme on Immunisation has been in place since 1978. As a result, we frequently see outbreaks of illnesses like measles, while polio, despite the decreasing number of cases, has yet to be eradicated.

The reasons for the inadequate level of vaccination are well-known, and involve misconceptions — sometimes even triggered by GPs themselves — and a general mistrust of government initiatives among parents, besides a lack of awareness and education. Perhaps the solution lies in greater direct engagement with communities to explain to parents that vaccines save lives and that their side effects are temporary. Here, the services of Lady Health Workers, who are already doing a commendable job, can prove invaluable. Their role can be enhanced with regular training in conveying greater information on childhood diseases to parents. Making vaccination centres more accessible and ensuring that all communication is in local languages can help clear up the fears parents harbour about vaccination for their children.

Published in Dawn, April 30th, 2023