Deploring that 27 percent of people refused to get their children vaccinated against polio on the first day of a special fractional Inactivated Polio Vaccine (fIPV) drive in Karachi on 15 August 2024, Polio Eradication Initiative (PEI) officials vowed on 16-August-2024 that they would manage to convince parents and vaccinate over 90 percent of the children with the injectable vaccine for which the latest jet injector technology was being used.
“Despite our best efforts, around 27 percent of people refused to vaccinate their children against polio on the first day of the special polio drive that began on Thursday. If people do not cooperate and get their children vaccinated, how can we eradicate polio from our soil?” questioned Irshad Sodhar, provincial coordinator of the Emergency Operation Center (EOC) for Polio, while addressing journalists at the EPI Hall in Karachi.
However, Sodhar remained hopeful, stating that they aimed to reduce the number of refusals and vaccinate at least 80-90 percent of children with the fIPV by the end of the campaign. He emphasised that they had mobilized community leaders, political figures, and religious scholars (Ulema) to persuade the public to get their children vaccinated.
Sodhar was accompanied by National EOC Coordinator for Polio Anwar-ul-Haq, Secretary General Pakistan Pediatric Association (PPA) Dr. Khalid Shafi, infectious diseases specialist Dr Ali Faisal Saleem from the Aga Khan University, and UNICEF Communication Specialist Ziaur Rehman. He highlighted that even in conflict zones like Gaza, parents ensure their children are vaccinated against polio because they understand the risk of lifelong paralysis.
“Many countries, poorer than Pakistan and with worse governance issues, have eradicated polio. India and Bangladesh, facing similar challenges in slums, have managed to eliminate polio using the same Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV). Yet, some of our people still refuse to vaccinate their children, which is concerning,” he added.
National EOC Coordinator Anwar-ul-Haq acknowledged that low-quality campaigns during the previous low-transmission season led to the current polio outbreak, which has resulted in 14 cases this year and the detection of poliovirus in sewage across Pakistan. He vowed that in the coming months, they would work diligently to contain the virus and ultimately eradicate it.
For the first time, synchronised polio drives are being conducted in September, October, and November in Pakistan and Afghanistan to cover the maximum number of eligible children, including those who move between the two countries and within cities, to contain the virus’s spread.
Anwar-ul-Haq also urged Karachi residents to vaccinate their children during the ongoing fIPV drive, emphasizing that this campaign is crucial to protecting their children and others from the crippling disease.
Renowned pediatrician Dr. Khalid Shafi pointed out that polio is spreading because people are not vaccinating their children. He urged the public to cooperate with polio workers to prevent their children from being affected by this debilitating disease.
The special polio fIPV drive was inaugurated by the Sindh health minister, who reiterated the government’s commitment to eradicating polio. The campaign aims to vaccinate millions of children across Karachi, with special attention given to high-risk areas and communities with low vaccination coverage.
The drive is part of a broader effort to combat the resurgence of polio in Pakistan, which remains one of the few countries where the virus is still endemic. The EOC and its partners are working tirelessly to ensure that no child is left unvaccinated, but they stress that success depends on public cooperation.
Published in News Daily on 17-August-2024.
