Advisor to Chief Minister Punjab on Health Khawaja Salman Rafiq has directed the officers of the Health department (HD) for strict monitoring of two-week anti-measles drive in Punjab, which is being successfully carried out by the co-operation of people.
"Officers should ensure reaching of vaccinating teams to every village, town and street to inoculate anti-measles vaccine to the children of the age of six months to 10 years," Salman said this while chairing the follow-up meeting over the ongoing anti-measles campaign here on Tuesday.
Secretary Health Jawad Rafiq Malik, Director General Health Dr Zahid Pervaiz, Additional Secretary (Tech) Dr Salman Shahid, Director Health EPI Dr Munir Ahmad and EDO Health Lahore Dr Zulfiqar Ali attended the meeting. Rafiq said that, besides launching special campaigns against polio and measles, government is also focusing on strengthening the routine immunisation coverage to prevent children from nine different diseases.
He said that Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif and Chief Secretary Khizar Hayat Gondal have already issued clear instructions to all the DCOs to supervise and monitor the two-week anti-measles drive in Punjab. He directed the officers to ensure all success in anti-measles campaign.
Earlier, Director Health EPI Dr Munir Ahmad informed that anti-measles campaign is successfully running all over the province, and people are bringing their children in the hospitals, health centres as well as health teams at mohallah level for inoculation of their children. He further said that the teams were also inoculating measles vaccine to the children in primary schools. He said that 60 percent target of the campaign would be achieved in primary schools. This campaign would continue till February 09, during which 28.5 million children will be vaccinated.