QUETTA: Over 80 per cent children under five years of age were administrated polio vaccine during the three-day campaign in Quetta region and the coverage will be increased to 98pc, but parents of 9,958 refused, an official said on Saturday.

Balochistan Health Dir­e­c­tor General Dr Naseer Ba­loch said at a press conference along with World Health Organisation (WHO) representative Anwar Bugti that health teams had covered the entire region and knocked at every door in Quetta and 10 other district during the campaign that ended on Thursday.

More than 17,450 children were not found at their homes and 9,958 cases of refusal were reported in the Quetta district, he said, adding that health teams were still administering the drops and had covered 12,473 of those who had not been found at home earlier.

“Media reports that 27,000 children have been administered anti-polio drops are not correct,” he said, adding that the target in Quetta region was 481,587 children.

He said the Balochistan government took serious notice of reporting of 11 cases of polio in Quetta, Zhob and Qila Abdullah and made arrangements for running a successful campaign.

Quetta District Health Officer Ahmed Sher Satakzai said poliovirus had been found in the area’s environment, especially the sewerage system, and his department was conducting polio eradication campaigns twice or thrice a month.

The DG said that maximum security was being provided to vaccination teams.

Published in Dawn, November 16th , 2014