https://arab.news/zwabn
- Pakistan and Afghanistan are the only two countries where polio remains an endemic
- Since late 2018, Pakistan has seen a resurgence of cases and increased spread of virus
ISLAMABAD: Officials on Sunday urged parents to have their children administered anti-polio vaccine as Pakistan gears up for a nationwide inoculation drive from Oct 28.
The development comes amid a deepening polio crisis in the South Asian country, which has reported 41 polio cases so far this year.
The anti-polio vaccination drive aims to inoculate more than 45 million children across the country from Oct. 28 till Nov. 3, according to Pakistan polio program.
“Parents are requested to fully cooperate with polio workers,” Ayesha Raza Farooq, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s focal person for polio eradication, said in a statement.
“Parents must ensure vaccination of their children aged below five years.”
Pakistan and Afghanistan are the only two countries where polio remains an endemic.
Since late 2018, Pakistan has seen a resurgence of cases and increased spread of poliovirus, highlighting the fragility of gains achieved in the preceding three years.