Major anti-polio drive in Punjab from 11th

LAHORE (Staff Report) - The Punjab government will launch a massive immunisation campaign from January 11 to 13 in which 18 million will be administrated vaccine.

This was informed by Advisor to Chief Minister on Health Khawaja Salman Rafique in a statement here on Friday.

He said the campaign was a part of the National Immunization Day while mobile and transit teams had been constituted in the province to conduct the campaign in a smooth manner.

He said a total of 42,604 teams had been constituted in the 3,522 union councils of the province, adding that 36,012 mobile teams and 2,313 transit teams would administer polio drops besides 4,279 fixed sites.

Meanwhile, Secretary Health Ali Jan Khan in his separate statement directed the staff to ensure proper meetings of teams in line with the national emergency plan for polio eradication.

Punjab accounted for just one case from a country total of 51 cases in 2015, he added. "The province faces a major challenge of migrant population from other provinces so special transit points have been set up on bordering districts with other provinces where children are immunized on entry points," he said.

Director EPI Dr Munir Ahmed said instructions had been passed to all EDOs (H) to ensure coverage of every child especially high risk mobile populations.