Unattended Children Vulnerable To Polio Virus In Rawalpindi

Speakers at a seminar have unanimously regarded missed children as vulnerable to polio virus and called for coverage of all children across the board to build their immunity against the lurking risk of polio in Rawalpindi

RAWALPINDI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 18th Apr, 2019 ) :Speakers at a seminar have unanimously regarded missed children as vulnerable to polio virus and called for coverage of all children across the board to build their immunity against the lurking risk of polio in Rawalpindi.

The seminar was organized by Rawalpindi District Health Authority in collaboration with polio eradication partners.

Deputy Commissioner Rawalpindi Muhammad Ali Randhawa, Officials from Director General Health Services Punjab and Polio Emergency Operations Centre also participated from Lahore.

Speaking on the occasion Director health Rawalpindi division Dr Rafiq Ahmad, said that as Rawalpindi situated on the junction of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab and most of the people who travelled to Punjab especially Lahore passed by Rawalpindi which puts it at highest risk of polio virus.

"We are recipient of large population who hailed from Afghanistan. I appealed parents to not lend ears to misconceptions and rumors.We have positive environment samples circulation which has paralyzed a child in Lahore. So there is need to vaccinate every children during polio campaign", he added.

Speaking on the occasion the Deputy commissioner sought role of pediatricians to address the issue of polio and called upon them to deal with parents with a human touch.

"Whenever we ignore parents or do not deal their children with care, we leave more space for quacks.

I urge doctors and private medical practitioners to convince parents so that every child must be vaccinated in every polio campaign",he added.

Stressing upon parents to vaccinate children in the next campaign starting from April 22, he said the district administration and health department has set up 2503 mobile teams,295 fixed points,118 transit points,226 Union council medical officers and 595 area incharges that would administer polio drops to above 864,977 children less than five years in the district.

He apprised the participants that the administration has also set up special vaccination points at the entry and exit points of the district. "The administration will continue to hold polio campaigns until the virus is eliminated", the DC added.

The DC said that polio vaccination was mandatory for all children and instructed private schools administration to stop asking parents for permission of polio vaccination.

"Schools should not send letters to parents, polio vaccination is mandatory", the DC said.

Renowned pediatrician of Rawalpindi district Dr Faiza Nabeel urged private clinicians to support polio vaccination.

"We need to vaccinate the children in every campaign in order to save our children from paralysis",Dr Faiza Nabeel stressed.

A video of a child recently affected by polio in Lahore was also shown to the participants on the occasion.