Summary The provincial health department has set target of inoculating 216,807 children in 11 sensitive UCs.
KARACHI (Web Desk) – A person was arrested for refusing to vaccinate his child during ongoing anti-polio campaign in the metropolis, Dunya news reported.
Anti-polio drive continued on second day in eleven sensitive union councils of the megacity.
In the union council of Firdous Colony Number 2, a person refused to administer polio drops to his kid. Deputy Commission Saifur Rehman who was present at the scene tried to convince him but he did not listen.
Later, the father was arrested for not cooperating with the authorities.
The provincial health department has set target of inoculating 216,807 children below age of five whereas 883 polio workers and supervisors are taking part in the ongoing campaign in Chakra Goth, Rerhi, Muzaffarabad Colony, Muslimabad, Fidous Colony No. 2, Gujjar Zone A UC, Zone B UC, Zone C UC, Zone D UC, Zone E UC, Manghopir, Chishti Nagar Orangi, Islamia Colony UC and Ittehad Colony UC.
Meanwhile, 1375 policemen and 173 Rangers personnel are escorting the health workers.
Polio, which can kill or paralyse a child in hours, is endemic only in Pakistan, Afghanistan and Nigeria. Attempts to eradicate it have been badly hit by opposition from militants and attacks on immunisation teams that have claimed 68 lives in Pakistan since December 2012.
Teams working to immunize children against polio are often targeted by militants, who say the campaign is a cover for Western spies, or accuse workers of distributing vaccines designed to sterilize children.
