The government is changing its strategy to reach the goal post of a polio-free Pakistan. The National Polio Programme plans to focus more on public awareness than coercion. More specifically, the government has decided not to register criminal cases against the parents not allowing their children to be vaccinated in a campaign starting from Monday. Prime Minister’s Focal Person on Polio Babar bin Atta hopes to achieve the target without having to handcuff the parents refusing vaccination. The relaxation, he admits, might result in a large number of refusals in Bannu, Laki Marwat and North Waziristan – the three districts where the law will on hold. Nearly 10 per cent of the parents in the districts, where tribal traditions are strong, have been resisting the polio vaccination. Instead of resort to force, the National Polio Programme is working with opinion makers, influencers, clerics, teachers and politicians to persuade the resisting parents to have their children vaccinated. According to Babar bin Ata, 500,000 children under five years of age in the three districts would be vaccinated. Those missed in the campaign, will be reached in the follow-up campaign with the message that the vaccination is in the best interest of the children. The National Emergency Operations Centre says the Monday polio vaccination drive will target more than 12.25 million children in 45 districts. During the special campaign, thousands of frontline workers will go door to door to ensure children receive two drops of the vaccine each. Under the influence of propaganda against the vaccination, many parents have been dodging the polio teams on one pretexts or another. There have been instances of parents marking their homes and children’s fingers to pretend coverage. For a long time, the government has been advised to start awareness campaigns to counter the false and mischievous propaganda and take action against those poisoning the minds of the people. It is out national shame that despite the laudable sacrifices by our polio workers and the great work by the polio prgramme managers, we have been unable to eradicate the poliovirus from Pakistan. The Polio National Programme’s decision to win over hearts and minds, instead of using force, is laudable. The whole nation should support the decision as well as the vaccination effort. *