ISLAMABAD: The first National Immunization Days (NIDs) campaign of 2022 successfully reached more than 43-million under-five children with lifesaving vaccines.
Over 339,521 trained and dedicated polio workers were engaged in the vaccination drive to inoculate children at their doorstep. This was stated by Dr Shahzad Baig, Coordinator of the National Emergency Operations Centre, Polio Eradication Initiative (PEI), in a statement here on Wednesday. He expressed satisfaction over the successful conclusion of the immunization campaign.
He congratulated the federal and provincial government leadership, frontline workers, parents, and caregivers, for playing an instrumental role in vaccinating eligible children during the campaign. He said we have completed more than a year without any reported cases. However, the wild poliovirus is still active in certain part of the country, posing a threat to the already achieved gain, especially, unvaccinated children are at risk.
Dr Baig said we need to ensure all eligible children are vaccinated during each campaign to build their immunity against diseases. “It is time to be more vigilant to reach the last mile – polio free Pakistan”, he added. The nationwide campaign was inaugurated by Dr Faisal Sultan, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Health, 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 repeated polio vaccination campaigns are imperative for building immunity among children and preventing possible death or lifelong paralysis from a vaccine-preventable disease.