LAHORE: Punjab on Sunday wrapped up special polio eradication campaign in its last three remaining districts including Lahore, Rawalpindi and Faisalabad.

On a sweltering hot day where temperatures soared past 40 degrees Celsius, polio workers swept streets and houses to vaccinate thousands of leftover children on the last day of the campaign.

In the first six days of the campaign, more than 4.6 million children have been vaccinated in the three mega districts. In Lahore, more than 2.1 million children were vaccinated. While in Faisalabad and Rawalpindi over 1.5 million and one million children were vaccinated which accounts for more than 100 per cent of the total target children.

The campaign was launched in 12 districts of Punjab to boost children immunity ahead of the polio virus high transmission season which is set to begin in June. In addition to the three mega districts, the campaign was held in Bhakkar, Layyah, Muzaffargarh, RY Khan, Rajanpur, Dera Ghazi Khan, Mianwali, Sheikhupura and Multan. In Lahore, Rawalpindi and Faisalabad, the campaign continued for seven days. While in other districts the campaign lasted five days.

More than 6.3 children were vaccinated in the nine districts. Overall, 10.91 million children have been vaccinated in the campaign in the 12 districts.

In his statement, the head of the polio programme in Punjab Khizer Afzaal hailed the efforts of polio teams saying despite hot weather and on a weekly holiday, polio teams were going door-to-door to vaccinate every child, which showed their commitment and dedication to the cause. “I urge parents to always fully cooperate with polio teams as this could help eradicate polio from Pakistan sooner rather than later”, the EOC head reiterated.

The EOC head also urged teams to revisit every house and ensure that cold chain was maintained so that there was no compromise on the quality and potency of vaccine.

Punjab is free of polio cases for the last two years since October 2020. All sewage samples collected recently from key Punjab cities have tested negative.

Punjab’s last environmental samples that tested positive in January were linked with Afghanistan and South Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Punjab is aware that being country’s biggest province in terms of resources and population it is at the risk of imported virus recirculation. Therefore, it is taking concrete steps to improve quality of campaigns and coverage of high-risk mobile population at transit points.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023