ISLAMABAD, Feb 16 (DNA): A five-day nationwide anti-polio campaign will
start from tomorrow (Monday) to immunize over 39.4 million children
across the country.
The vaccination drive will continue from February 17-21, while it will
be extended to seven days in more sensitive areas, sources said. Around
2,65,000 anti-polio workers will participate in the drive across the
country.
In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 6.7 million children under the age of five years
will be administered vaccine. In the vaccination drive 19.9 million
children will be administered polio vaccine in Punjab, 9.26 million
children in Sindh and 2.46 mln children in Balochistan.
In Islamabad 3,56,000 children, Azad Kashmir 6,90,000 children and in
Gilgit-Baltistan 2,40,000 children under the age of five years will be
administered vaccine.
Secretary General United Nations will also administer police vaccine to
children in Lahore on February 18.
According to reports overall count of polio cases across the country had
reached 134 in 2019 with 91 cases in KP, 24 cases in Sindh, eight in
Punjab and 11 in Balochistan. In the new year so far 17 polio cases have
been reported across the country.
Terming polio eradication as a national cause and a collective
responsibility, government officials have urged all segments of the
society, donor agencies and government institutions, to make coordinated
efforts to save the future generations from life-long disabilities. DNA
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