PESHAWAR/DERA ISMAIL KHAN: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa health department is set to launch second round of the “Big Catch-Up” anti-polio drive from October 1 to vaccinate 300,000 children, who missed routine immunisation during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Expanded Programme on Immunisation director Dr Mohammad Arif Khan told adviser to the chief minister on health Ihtisham Ali during a briefing here that 1.2 million children were being vaccinated against 12 vaccine-preventable diseases in the province annually, while the same number of the local pregnant women received tetanus vaccine shots every year.

He said those efforts had contributed to a 17 per cent reduction in neonatal mortality in the province.

“After the onset of coronavirus, most of our 3,500 staff members got busy with pandemic-related activities because it was a global emergency. They collected samples from suspected people, and the exercise was followed by contact tracing of the coronavirus-positive people and their vaccination along with others,” he said.

EPI official says 300,000 children who missed routine immunisation in Covid pandemic to be targeted

The EPI director said that immunisation was the only way to protect children from killer diseases and ensure their growth, so the responsibility for their vaccination lied with their parents.

“This [vaccination] promises a better future to children,” he said.

Dr Khan said trained vaccinators in the province, who had played a significant role in the fight against Covid-19, would be part of the efforts for the elimination of measles and other childhood diseases.

He said the EPI had also enlisted the support of religious scholars to persuade people about the vaccination of their children.

The official said the average attendance of vaccinators had increased to 89 per cent due to the provision of petrol to them.

He said there had been a steady improvement in outreach vaccination campaigns since May, with coverage reaching 53 per cent.

Dr Khan said the EPI had allocated Rs237 million for provision of petrol to vaccinators in the current fiscal year and Rs9 million from it had already been released.

He said an Integrated Outreach Programme had been launched in the rural and remote areas of Peshawar, targeting unvaccinated and zero-dose children during weekends and evenings. The official said the initiative included full health teams, consisting of lady health visitors, vaccinators, and social mobilisers, traveling by vehicle to ensure vaccine delivery and antenatal check-ups.

“We have established 24-hour operational vaccine houses in 24 districts, significantly improving vaccination rates across the province,” he said.

The meeting was also attended by health secretary Adeel Shah, director general (health services) Dr Mohammad Saleem Khan and other relevant officials.

Meanwhile, Dera Ismail Khan deputy commissioner Sarah Rehman on Tuesday visited remote areas in the districts to inspect arrangements for the anti-polio campaign across the district.

She met polio eradication teams in the field and checked the children’s finger markings at homes.

The DC also visited transit vaccination points and encouraged vaccinators to continue working diligently.

She said the “micro-plan” for the anti-polio campaign should be effectively implemented to achieve all targets.

Ms Rehman urged people to ensure vaccination of their children to protect them from lifelong disability.

She said polio teams had also been deployed at bus stops and other public places to ensure achievement of 100 per cent targets.

Published in Dawn, September 25th, 2024