Ayesha Raza urges parents to vaccinate children against polio

ISLAMABAD, Nov 01 (APP):Prime Minister's Focal Person for Polio Eradication Ayesha Raza Farooq has called on parents to ensure that all children under five years of age receive polio vaccine drops during the upcoming nationwide sub-national vaccination campaign from November 2 to 8. In a message ahead of the campaign, she said polio eradication was a national responsibility and a key priority of the Government of Pakistan, emphasizing that protecting children's health and well-being remained a foremost priority. She said polio was a dangerous disease that could cause lifelong paralysis, adding that although there was no cure for the disease, vaccination could protect children against it. The campaign will be conducted in 97 selected districts across the country, targeting approximately 24 million children for vaccination. Ayesha Raza Farooq urged parents to extend full cooperation to polio vaccination teams and ensure that their children receive the vaccine during the campaign. She emphasized that vaccination during every campaign was essential to provide complete protection against the poliovirus. She said seven polio cases had been reported in the country so far this year, with the majority originating from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Reaffirming the government's commitment, she said efforts would continue until the complete eradication of poliovirus from Pakistan.