ISLAMABAD: A five-day polio immunisation drive commenced across the country on Monday with a target to vaccinate over 40.1 million children against the crippling disease.
The first anti-polio drive of 2021 would continue till January 15, including three days of vaccination and two days of catch-up activities in high-risk areas.
A supplementary dose of vitamin-A drops will also be administered to the children aged six to 59 months during this campaign to help build general immunity to protect them from polio and other diseases.
According to Pakistan Polio Eradication Programme, around 285,000 polio frontline workers will visit parents and caregivers at their doorstep, adhering to strict Covid-19 precautionary measures and protocols while vaccinating children.
Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination, Dr Faisal Sultan, in a statement, said that the government is committed to achieving the goal of a polio-free Pakistan.
In Punjab, 48,000 teams have been formed to vaccinate over twenty million children. In Sindh, nine million children will be vaccinated and administered vitamin A drops during the campaign.
In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), 21,000 teams will administer vaccines to above seven million children. In Balochistan, over 10,000 teams will ensure provision of vaccines to 2.4 million children in a door-to-door campaign.
Polio teams will also be available at bus stops, railway stations, Afghan refugees’ camps and other public places for the purpose.
Tight security measures have been taken for security of polio teams.
Meanwhile, in Gilgit-Baltistan (GB), during the campaign over 244,000 children will be administered anti-polio vaccine and vitamin A drops. 1,238 medical teams are taking part in the campaign.
Pakistan has come over the Polio disease.