The polio campaign in Punjab as part of the National Immunization Day will begin today and last till April 19 to target 18.7 million children under five years of age.
Punjab Primary and Secondary Healthcare Minister Khawaja Imran Nazir directed district officials to ensure that all campaign targets are achieved. District administrations across Punjab have held preparatory meetings for the campaign in this regard.
Health Secretary Ali Jan Khan said that the department has constituted over 44,000 teams in the province which including mobile, fixed, and transit teams. The campaign will be held in all of Punjab’s 36 districts and after the three day campaign, catch up activity for children missed during the campaign will continue.
The minister has asked all parents to have their children vaccinated against polio. “The government of Punjab is focusing on Multan, Rawalpindi, and Lahore because of recent positive environmental samples,” he said.
Punjab’s Emergency Operation Coordinator Dr Munir Ahmed said that the recent environmental samples have been a cause of concern and indicated the presence of the polio virus in the environment. “We are trying to reach out to the mobile and migrant population coming from polio affected areas. In case of teams not reaching any area, parents may contact the 0800 99000 helpline,” Dr Munir Ahmed said.