5 New Polio Cases Reported From KP, Provincial Count Mounts To 88: Emergency Operation Centre (EOC)

The National Institute of Health Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Thursday has notified five new cases of Wild Polio Virus (WPV) from Tank, D.I. Khan, Bannu districts,taking the total count to 88 in the province and 123 in the country

PESHAWAR, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 2nd Jan, 2020 ) :The National Institute of Health Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Thursday has notified five new cases of Wild Polio Virus (WPV) from Tank, D.I. Khan, Bannu districts,taking the total count to 88 in the province and 123 in the country.

Coordinator Emergency Operation Centre (EOC) KP Abdul Basit said in a press statement that the wild polio virus has been isolated from stool sample of 26 months old male child from Tehsil Bannu, District Bannu, 30 months old female child and five months old male child from Tank, 24 months old female child from Parova Tehsil of district D.I.Khan and six months old child from Baizai tehsil of Mohmand district.

The epidmological study of the children shows that all children were zero dose for essential immunization while their SIAs history is under investigation.

Coordinator EOC Basit shown strong exception to the sharp increase in polio cases in the province specially from the southern belt �saying that it was unfortunate that 68 children are diabled for life.

He said that virus was on fire in the province specifically in the southern belt and also present in the environment that would hit any unvaccinated or immune-comprise child.

Despite the fact that vaccine is available to prevent children from the disease yet parents were not vaccinating their children due to misconceptions and were responsible for the disability of the children, he added.

He said that the only viable solution of the problem is to vaccinate children under five in every campaign as only repeated doses can protect the child from permanent disability and stop virus circulation in the environment.

Abdul Basit appealed to parent not to pay attention to propaganda's and rumors adding that polio vaccine was completely safe and do not cause any harm upon administration.