Rawalpindi-Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of District Health Authority Dr Faiza Kanwal on Sunday said that around 1,186,577 children between nine months to 15 years have been vaccinated against measles and rubella so far across the district since the vaccination administering drive launched on November 15.
Sharing details of the campaign, she told APP that as many as 264,960 children were inoculated the vaccine in Tehsil Rawalpindi, 227,304 in Rawalpindi city, while 208,749 had been vaccinated in Cantonment areas.
Similarly, in Taxila, 145,974 children had received both doses, while the number of children was 46,773 in Kallar Syedan.
The CEO further said that 50,265 children had been vaccinated in Murree, 25,689 in Kotli Sattian, 47,502 in Kahuta, while 146,079 received the shots in tehsil Gujar Khan so far.
Dr Faiza warned that schools administration who refused vaccination would be sealed, and FIRs would also be registered against them.
During the campaign, she informed that 1556 outreach teams, 328 medical officers, 1812 skilled persons besides 1812 team assistants, and 3368 social mobilizers were visiting 210 union councils of the district, including 46 union councils (UC) of Metropolitan Corporation Rawalpindi (MCR), 36 tehsil Rawalpindi, 28 Rawalpindi Cantt, 33 Gujar Khan, 14 Kahuta, 11 Kalar Syedan, 10 Kotli Sattian, 15 Murree and 17 union councils of tehsil Taxila.
The CEO said the set target to cover 2.3 million children would be achieved by November 27, while 0.7 million children below five years of age would also be protected against polio during the drive.
“Measles is an acute viral respiratory illness and is characterized by a prodrome of fever and malaise, cough, coryza, and conjunctivitis, pathognomonic enanthema (Koplik spots) followed by a maculopapular rash while the rash usually appears about 14 days after a person is exposed,” the CEO added.
Explaining rubella infection, she said it was also known as German measles or three-day measles caused by the rubella virus. Dr Faiza noted that disease was often mild, with half of the people not realizing that they were infected. “A rash may start around two weeks after exposure and last for three days; it usually starts on the face and spreads to the rest of the body,” the health officer informed.