MIRPUR (AJK): District Health Officer Mirpur Dr Fida Hussain Raja has urged all stakeholders to intensify efforts to ensure universal childhood vaccination, counter anti-vaccine misinformation and protect children against 13 vaccine-preventable diseases through strengthened routine immunisation and public awareness campaigns.
He was chairing a meeting of the Routine Immunisation Communication Committee at the DHO Office Mirpur here Friday, that attended by representatives of the health department, religious scholars, local government, civil society and the media.
Dr Fida said children were being vaccinated against 13 preventable diseases, including tuberculosis, polio, diarrhoea, meningitis, pneumonia, diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, hepatitis B, typhoid, measles and rubella. He stressed the need to intensify public awareness campaigns to ensure that no child was left unvaccinated.
Briefing participants on routine immunisation, the upcoming polio campaign and the inclusion of the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine in the routine immunisation programme, he urged stakeholders to highlight the importance of vaccination through print, electronic and social media, as well as community-level engagement.
The DHO expressed concern over misleading content circulating on social media, saying it created doubts among the public about vaccination. He called for collective efforts to counter negative propaganda and communicate the health department’s preventive initiatives to every segment of society. He also urged educational institutions, social organisations, the media, elected local representatives and the public to play an active role in promoting immunisation.
Earlier, Assistant Director EPI and Committee Secretary Sardar Waqas Ahmed Khan briefed participants through a multimedia presentation on routine immunisation.
Dr Fida Hussain Raja thanked the participants for their attendance and support, emphasising that collective action was essential to protect public health and prevent the spread of diseases.