Polio immunization drive begins amid tough security

  • January 21, 2015, 4:36 pm
  • National News
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HQ City Report

QUETTA: The polio immunization campaign got underway on Monday in some 28 districts of the Balochistan province including Quetta district.
Around 7,000 mobile teams have been constituted to administer the anti-polio vaccine by visiting home-to-home in the targeted districts, said the sources of the Provincial Health Department Balochistan on Monday.
In addition to the mobile teams, the teams have also been given the task to vaccinate the children against the crippling disease at different transit points in the districts. The arrangements have also been made for the purpose at the basic health units and rural health centers there to achieve the target of the immunization, the sources maintained.
We have set a target of administering the anti-Polio vaccine to around two million children upto five years of age during the campaign, said the Director General of Health Services, Dr. Farooq Azam Jan talking to this scribe.
Foolproof arrangements have been made for security of the anti-Polio teams during anti-Polio campaign, the sources mentioned.
While the polio immunization campaign was launched in 28 districts, the campaign has been postponed in four districts of the Zhob division for time being.
The sources said that the campaign would be launched in Zhob, Loralai, Musakhail and Killa Saifullah later in next week.
Meanwhile, security has been put on high alert in Quetta district with regard to the ongoing polio immunization campaign.
The DG Health also mentioned that the campaign is being carried out in Quetta district in two phases.
While the first phase has been started from Monday, the next phase would be launched after completion of the first phase.
Over 1,200 personnel of the police and other law enforcement agencies have been assigned the security duties during the immunization campaign being carried out in Quetta district, the DG Health maintained.