RAWALPINDI:As many as 900,000 children under five years of age were vaccinated against the Polio virus during a week-long campaign, which began in all tehsils of the district, including Rawalpindi Municipal Corporation and Cantonments areas, on March 13.
Chief Executive Officer(CEO) of District Health Authority, Dr Ansar Ishaq, told reporter that drive concluded on March 19 was extended for two more days due to the rains in the district and the campaign would continue till March 21.
He said the extension’s purpose for two more days was to reach thousands of children who remained unattended or whose parents refused to administer polio drops during the campaign, adding that the department wants to cover the maximum number of children in the ongoing special anti-polio campaign.
Incharge Anti Polio drive of the district, Ch Muhammad Hussain, informed that around 3,723 polio teams, including 3,272 mobile teams,289 fixed points,214 Union council medical officers, and 765 area incharges, were participating in the drive to complete the task of vaccinating over 947,000 children in the district.
“We have so far administered polio drops to around 900,000 children, and the set target to administer drops to 947,000 children would be achieved by Tuesday”, he added.
Hussain advised parents to come forward and fulfil their obligation of ensuring the vaccination of their children to help eliminate the crippling disease./395