PESHAWAR: In 48 high-risk union councils in Peshawar, the District Emergency Operations Center (DEOC) has completed preparations for a six-day special polio booster dose campaign that will begin on October 26 and target 1,111,107 children between the ages of four months and ten years.
The campaign’s objectives are to increase children’s resistance to poliovirus and lessen its spread, especially in regions where the virus has been found in environmental samples.
Recent polio cases in Khyber district and other parts of the province have highlighted the continued threat of the disease. The recent infection of a 10-year-old child in Khyber has also underscored the need to protect older children against the virus.
During the campaign, health teams will administer booster doses to eligible children at schools, health facilities and community vaccination points. Children aged five to 10 years in the targeted union councils will also receive oral polio vaccine drops.
The DEOC has deployed 1,728 trained polio teams and 1,383 social mobilisers to ensure the campaign’s effective implementation. Authorities have also made security arrangements for vaccination teams.
Afaq Wazir, Deputy Commissioner Peshawar, has advised parents to make sure their children between the ages of four months and ten years receive the booster shot in order to prevent polio-related permanent handicap.
Additionally, he urged leaders of civil society, medical professionals, and religious scholars to support the campaign and make sure that all children who qualify receive the vaccine.
