Wahab seeks support of all political parties for polio drive

Urging all the political parties to support the ongoing fractional inactivated polio vaccination (fIPV) campaign in the 85 union councils (UCs) of the city, Mayor Murtaza Wahab on Wednesday assured full support of the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) and all the UC chairmen in ensuring that every child is vaccinated.

“Polio is not only paralysing children but also claiming lives,” Wahab said while talking to the media after inaugurating the second phase of the fIPV drive in the city. “Fifteen polio cases have been reported in Pakistan this year, with two cases in Sindh, including one in Karachi. I urge all political leaders and parties, and influential individuals to support polio workers and teams in reaching every child for vaccination.”

Polio Eradication Initiative officials announced that the first phase of the combined fIPV and oral polio vaccine (OPV) campaign in Karachi had successfully reached over 95 per cent of its target in 40 high-risk and super-high-risk UCs.

Accompanied by Emergency Operations Centre for Polio in Sindh Coordinator Irshad Sodhar, Wahab said that during the second phase, over half a million children in the remaining 45 UCs would be administered fIPV and OPV to protect them from the crippling disease.

“The goal of this campaign is to halt the transmission of the virus in Karachi, which is crucial, as the virus can spread from here to other parts of the province and the country,” explained the mayor.

He said that the 85 high-risk and super-high-risk UCs were selected through extensive data analysis, adding that fIPV is being administered using the latest jet injector technology, which is needle-free, and painless for children.

He emphasised that in addition to fIPV, OPV is being administered to 1.1 million children aged five and under. He urged parents to ensure that their children are administered both the vaccine injection and the oral drops when teams visit their area.

“Polio teams will visit your homes, and you can also go to nearby outreach sites, where trained teams will administer both OPV and fIPV vaccines to your children under five,” he said, noting that the combined effect of OPV and fIPV has been scientifically proven to enhance immunity in children.

Reassuring parents that the polio vaccine is completely safe, halal and free from side effects, Wahab highlighted that it has been endorsed by leading child specialists, and religious scholars of all sects.