LAHORE (Kashmir English): The anti-polio vaccination campaign that was supposed to start countrywide from today, has been postponed in nine flood-affected districts of Punjab, as authorities shift focus to relief and rescue operations.
The campaign, however, will begin as scheduled in other parts of the country from September 1 (today).
According to the National Emergency Operations Center (NEOC), the vaccination drive has been suspended in Multan, Lahore, Sheikhupura, Kasur, Okara, Gujranwala, Sialkot, Muzaffargarh, and Bahawalpur.
These districts are among the worst affected by ongoing floods, which have displaced thousands of families besides incurring damage to houses and roads.
According to the health officials, the decision has been taken to ensure the safety of vaccination teams and families living in submerged areas.
Anti-polio campaign to start in unaffected districts
Despite disruption in South Punjab, the campaign will go ahead in Rawalpindi, Faisalabad, Attock, Mianwali, Dera Ghazi Khan, Rajanpur, and Rahim Yar Khan.
The NEOC has appealed to parents to fully cooperate with vaccination teams and ensure that every child under five receives polio drops.
Multan, one of the hardest-hit cities in Southern Punjab, has seen mass evacuations as floodwaters rise in Chenab and Sutlej rivers.
Relief efforts are continuing but officials said that healthcare services, including vaccination drives, are under severe strain.
The number of polio cases in the province this year has reached 15.
The number of polio cases in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa this year has reached 15, including three each from Bannu, Lakki Marwat, Tank, and North Waziristan districts, and one case each from Torghar, Dera Ismail Khan, and Kohistan Lower districts.
This year, the total number of polio cases across the country has now reached 23, with Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa leading the tally with 15 polio cases, while Sindh has reported 6, and Punjab and Gilgit-Baltistan have reported one polio case each.
