Parents of 38,000 children refuse polio vaccination in Karachi

KARACHI: Parents of over 38,000 children refused to administer polio drops to their kids during the immunization campaign in Karachi, it emerged during a meeting headed by Sindh Minister for Health Dr Azra Fazl Pechuhu on Wednesday, ARY NEWS reported.

Chairing a meeting to review the immunization campaign run in the city from July 20, it was briefed that vaccination drive targeted over 250,000 children in 23 union councils of the metropolis.

Initially, 38,000 refusals were reported during the polio campaign but later 20,000 children were vaccinated after their parents were persuaded, the meeting was briefed as 18,700 children are yet to be administered polio drops during the drive.

Speaking during the meeting, Azra Fazl Pechuhu said that rainfall in the city created hurdles for them in achieving immunization targets.

“It further remained a challenge during the drive to persuade parents to administer polio drops to their children,” she said while vowing to continue efforts unless no child is left behind from the vaccination process.

We will persuade the parents at all cost, she said while announcing the next anti-polio campaign in the city in August.

Azra Fazl Pechuhu said that the immunization drive suffered due to precautionary measures adopted during coronavirus pandemic.

It is pertinent to mention here that on July 27, it was reported that first polio immunization campaign in the country during COVID-19 pandemic has achieved desired results as 94 percent of the targeted children were administered polio drops during the drive.

“In the first phase, the vaccination campaign was carried out in Karachi, Faisalabad, Attock, South Waziristan, and Quetta areas of the country,” they said adding that special training was given to polio workers to avoid contracting COVID-19 during the campaign and maintaining social distancing.