LAhore         -      The Punjab Polio Programme has announced a campaign in six districts from November 4, a spokesman said on Saturday. “Keeping in view the epidemiology, districts including Lahore and Multan are fully included in the campaign while selected union councils of Jehlum, Sargodha, Chakwal and Mandi Bahauddin have been included”, the official said.  A child was paralysed by the polio virus in Jehlum while last polio case was too reported in Lahore. This is the third case response campaign since the last polio case in Lahore and Jehlum.  Incharge Salman Ghani said: “The Punjab government wants to make sure that polio virus circulation in key districts is interrupted and the virus is eliminated.” The emergency operations centre for polio eradication has constituted over 11 thousand teams that will go door-to- door or deployed at major crossing and fixed points to vaccinate more than 2.84 million children, he said.  The incharge said to facilitate parents a Whatsapphelpline 03467776546 has been established to receive complaints during the polio eradication campaign.

Parents should not worry as polio vaccine is safe, efficacious, and approved by the drug regulatory authorities, he said and called for ensuring their participation in the campaign.

In 2019, 77 children have been paralaysed in Pakistan including five from Punjab.  Globally, Pakistan and Afghanistan are the two countries still having polio cases.