Attock - Around 0.3 million children up to the age of five years will be administered polio drops in Attock district during five-day anti-polio campaign to be started on January 11.
Health officials said the drive was launched on the directives of provincial authorities after a vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 (VDPV2) case was reported in the district in July.
The drive was initially for five days to administer polio drops to 296,662 children across the district under the supervision of representatives from provincial and federal health authorities and the World Health Organisation (WHO).
“The five-day polio vaccination drive should be conducted under strict preventive measures of COVID-19,” they said. Deputy Commissioner Attock, Ali Anan Qamar while chairing a meeting to review arrangements of the drive urged that ‘no touch’ vaccination method should be adopted to maintain distance between the frontline worker and children.
He said health department teams must ensure to administer polio drops to every child upto five years of age, adding that parents should also cooperate with the teams to make the campaign successful.
The meeting was attended by Chief Executive Officer Health Dr Jawad Ellahi, assistant commissioners, DDHOs Health, Superintendent Vaccination, Incharge Polio Control Room and representatives of World Health Organization.
The health officials informed that 1,100 teams have been constituted who would be present at all entry and exit points of the city, bus stands, railway stations, hospitals and health centres.
They further said that 100 teams would provide services at hospitals and other areas while 35 mobile teams have also been constituted.
A representative of World Health Organization said Punjab has so far reported 14 polio cases this year.