Government Urges Parents to Vaccinate as 4 New Polio Cases Surface
- Government Issues Urgent Appeal as New Polio Cases Emerge Across Pakistan
- Nationwide Polio Vaccination Campaign to Begin October 28 Amid Rising Cases
- Health Officials Warn of Expanding Polio Outbreak, Urge Parents to Act
- Pakistan Faces Public Health Emergency as Polio Cases Climb to 32
Urgent Call for Polio Vaccination as Outbreak Spreads, Affecting 32 Children
Islamabad, October 08, 2024 – The government has issued an urgent appeal to parents across Pakistan to vaccinate their children after four new polio cases were confirmed, raising the total number of affected children to 32 this year. Health officials stress the importance of immunization, with poliovirus posing an escalating public health emergency.
The Prime Minister’s Focal Person for Polio Eradication, Ms. Ayesha Raza Farooq, emphasized the gravity of the situation, stating: “This should be a wake-up call for all parents. Every case of paralysis means the virus is spreading silently, potentially affecting hundreds of children.”
On Tuesday, the Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication confirmed wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) cases from two children in Jacobabad, one child each in Karachi Malir and DI Khan. In response, the Polio Programme will launch a nationwide vaccination campaign on October 28, aiming to vaccinate more than 45 million children to protect them from the debilitating effects of polio.
The Coordinator of the National Emergency Operations Centre, Mr. Anwarul Haq, warned that the virus is circulating widely, with WPV1 detected in sewage samples from affected districts. “Our team is fully engaged in joint case investigations and preparing high-quality vaccination rounds to protect children,” he said.
Parents and caregivers are urged to take immediate action and ensure their children are vaccinated during the upcoming campaign. With no cure for polio, the only protection against lifelong paralysis is vaccination.
Additionally, the Big Catch-up initiative, led by the Expanded Programme for Immunization, is working in targeted districts to ensure children are vaccinated against 12 childhood diseases, including polio.
