RAWALPINDI: As many as 900,000 children, below the age of five years, were vaccinated against the Polio virus during a week-long immunization campaign, which began on March 13 in all tehsils of Rawalpindi, including the district’s Municipal Corporation and Cantonments areas.
Dr Ansar Ishaq, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of District Health Authority, told APP that the drive which concluded on March 19 was extended for two more days due to rains and would now continue till March 21.
Reason behind extension
Ishaq said the campaign was extended to reach thousands of children who remained unattended or whose parents did not administer polio vaccines, adding that the department wants to immunize the maximum number of children in the special anti-polio campaign currently underway.
Ch Muhammad Hussain, Incharge of the ongoing Anti Polio drive in Rawalpindi said that around 3,723 polio teams, including 3,272 mobile teams, 214 Union council medical officers, 289 fixed points and 765 area incharges, were participating in the immunization drive to complete the task of vaccinating over 947,000 children in the district.
Around 900,000 children have so far been administered polio drops, and the set target to vaccinate 947,000 children would be achieved by Tuesday, Hussain added.
He advised parents to come forward and fulfil their obligation of ensuring the immunization of their children to help eliminate the crippling disease.
—APP
