LAKKI MARWAT - Prominent religious scholars have said that immunisation of children against polio is not against Shariah and teachings of Islam and that people should not believe in hearsay and administer their kids with the anti-polio vaccine in the campaign.

They were speaking at a seminar held in the District Headquarters Complex Tajazai by district health department with the support of local administration on the importance of polio eradication campaigns and usefulness of administering children with the anti-polio vaccine.  “The OPV and IPV are not harmful to children rather the vaccine are helpful to keep kids safe from crippling disease”, said Mufti Ihsanullah.

He said that efforts on world level were being made to wipe out the epidemic completely, adding that religious scholars and clerics are extending all-out support and assistance to the health department and partner organizations to make campaigns against polio a success.

He asked the people from different walks of life to cooperate with polio teams and vaccinate their children against the disease.

Another religious scholar district khateeb Maulana Abdul Wahab told the participants that doctors’ advice should be preferred and acted upon in health-related issues. “Polio is a deadly disease and it can cause lifelong paralyze to the kids, therefore, we should administer the anti-polio vaccine to all children under the age of five”, he maintained.

He underlined the importance of preventive measures and availing treatment facilities to cure diseases in the light of Islamic injunctions and said that the clerics and Ulema had no misconceptions in their minds about the anti-polio vaccine.  He called upon the people especially parents not to believe in wrong perceptions about anti-polio drops or inactivated polio vaccine and help polio teams to vaccine children.

He also asked the people to stop opposing polio eradication campaigns and perform their national, moral and religious obligations zealously.

Other speakers included district nazim advocate Iqbal Hussain, deputy commissioner Muhammad Bakhtiar Khan, district health officer Dr Taus Khan and district naib nazim Haji Arab Khan.

The deputy commissioner asked the people not to link their problems in education, health, drinking water and other sectors with vaccination of their children. “People are still doubtful about anti-polio drives and administration of anti-polio drops to children despite knowing that our neighboring countries including India and China have eliminated the disease within few rounds”, he added.

Bakhtiar stressed the need for changing the mindset of people by convincing them to augment coordinated efforts by the district administration, health department and partner organizations aiming to make the district free from polio. He assured that the bigwigs and local administration and government would make all-out efforts to resolve the problems faced by area people in different sectors.  The district nazim asked the local bodies’ members to cooperate with polio teams in their respective localities so that the immunization of targeted population against polio could be achieved in upcoming campaign commencing from Jan 15.

“It is the prime responsibility of councilors and nazims and village and neighborhood councils to persuade parents on vaccination of their children”, he added, saying that messages regarding the usefulness of anti-polio vaccine for children’s health should disseminate in the area through mosques, hujra, and schools.