TOBA TEK SINGH, Nov 2: Scores of parents of children under five have refused anti-polio vaccination for their children in the district, a health department official told Dawn on Sunday.

Asked about the reason for the people’s refusal to administer vital vaccination to their children, the source said, most of them talked about the propaganda that pig fat was being used in the vaccine. Many others said the vaccine was manufactured by Jews, so it was harmful for their children.

EDO (Health) Dr Masood Iqbal Bukhari said he lacked the exact count of the people who had avoided the vaccination. However, he said, it was a false propaganda against the vaccine. He said he had already informed the higher authorities about the public response to the campaign.

The EDO said eight-month-old Draz Khan – the first polio case in the district – was administered vaccination but it could not work. Meanwhile, a World Health Organisation team visited Chak 346-JB (Gojra tehsil) and examined the polio case detected here the other day.