It is estimated that Pakistan has a low immunisation and vaccination coverage of about 56 percent. The vaccines are used in the capital city Islamabad, in Punjab, in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, in Sindh and Balochistan, but the last has the lowest rate at of coverage at 16.4 percent. The low coverage of vaccination and immunisation puts the life of children at the risk. Fatal diseases including hepatitis B, pneumonia, smallpox, polio, mumps, tetanus and other diseases are taking the life of mainly children at shocking rate but their prevention are possible through immunisation. However, children are over the circumvention of it. Hence, parent’s ignorance and menace of terrorism in the country are subjected behind the deprivation of children from vaccination. Consequently, every year 1.2 million children aged five lost their lives because of pneumonia disease and 780,000 die of hepatitis B which can be prevented through vaccinations and immunisation.
However, concerned authorities have failed to provide vaccines against diseases. The media should play its due role regarding the importance of immunisation coverage.
LIQUAT SALEH,
Turbat, May 3