Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: The first National Immunisation Days (NIDs) campaign of 2022 successfully reached more than 43 million under-five children with life saving vaccines. Over 339,521 trained and dedicated polio workers were engaged in the vaccination drive to inoculate children at their doorstep.

Dr. Shahzad Baig, Coordinator of the National Emergency Operations Centre, Polio Eradication Initiative (PEI), expressed satisfaction over the successful conclusion of the immunisation campaign. He congratulated Federal and Provincial government leadership, frontline workers, parents, and caregivers, for playing an instrumental role in vaccinating eligible children during the campaign. “I extend my sincere thanks to the parents and provincial governments for successfully implementing the campaign. We have completed more than a year without any reported cases.”

However, he added the wild polio virus is still active in certain parts of the country, posing a threat to the already achieved gain, especially, unvaccinated children are at risk. “We need to ensure all eligible children are vaccinated during each campaign to build their immunity against diseases,” Dr. Baig said. “It is time to be more vigilant to reach the last mile – polio-free Pakistan.”

The nationwide campaign was inaugurated by Dr Faisal Sultan, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on National Health Services reaffirming the government’s commitment to polio eradication. The campaign was launched in six districts of South Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on 21 February and on 28 February in the remaining parts of the country.

The Sehat Tahafuz Helpline 1166 and 24/7 Polio WhatsApp Helpline 0346-777-65-46 assisted parents and caregivers in reporting missed children. The repeated polio vaccination campaigns are imperative for building immunity among children and preventing possible death or lifelong paralysis from a vaccine-preventable disease.