Pakistan begins another vaccination campaign after a worrying surge in polio cases

Pakistan has begun a nationwide vaccination run to protect 45 cardinal children from polio aft a surge successful caller cases that has hampered years of efforts to extremity nan illness successful 1 of nan 2 countries wherever it has ne'er been eradicated

ISLAMABAD -- Pakistan began a nationwide vaccination run Monday to protect 45 cardinal children from polio aft a surge successful caller cases that has hampered years of efforts to extremity nan illness successful 1 of nan 2 countries wherever it has ne'er been eradicated.

Pakistan regularly launches specified campaigns, but violence targeting nan wellness workers and constabulary assigned to escort them is common. Militants falsely declare nan vaccination campaigns are a Western conspiracy to sterilize children.

The run is nan 3rd this twelvemonth and will proceed until Sunday “in consequence to nan alarming summation successful polio cases,” said Ayesha Raza Farooq, nan premier minister's advisor for nan polio eradication program. “We are re-energized successful our efforts to combat polio,” she said successful a statement.

During nan door-to-door campaign, children younger than 5 will beryllium vaccinated and fixed drops of Vitamin A supplements to heighten their immunity.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif precocious met pinch front-line wellness workers, urging them to guarantee nary kid was near unvaccinated by going door-to-door.

Anwarul Haq, who is nan coordinator of nan National Emergency Operations Centre for Polio Eradication, besides urged parents to afloat cooperate pinch polio workers. “Polio has nary cure, but it tin beryllium prevented pinch this readily disposable vaccine,” he said.

Pakistan has recorded 41 cases crossed 71 districts truthful acold this year, Farooq said. Most were reported from southwestern Balochistan and confederate Sindh province, pursuing by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa state and eastbound Punjab province.

The surge successful cases successful caller locations is worrying authorities since erstwhile cases were from nan restive northwest bordering Afghanistan, wherever nan Taliban authorities successful September suddenly stopped a door-to-door vaccination campaign.

Authorities successful Pakistan opportunity nan Afghan Taliban’s caller determination to extremity door-to-door anti-polio run will person repercussions beyond nan Afghan border, arsenic group from some sides often recreation to each other’s country. The World Health Organization has confirmed 18 polio cases successful Afghanistan this year.

Pakistan and Afghanistan are the only 2 countries successful nan world wherever nan dispersed of polio has ne'er been stopped. It is 1 of nan world’s astir infectious diseases, truthful it continues to dispersed anyplace group are not afloat vaccinated. In terrible cases, polio tin origin imperishable paralysis and death.