Anti-polio campaign begins in Fata today

PESHAWAR: The anti-polio campaign is starting in Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) amid a tight security today.

The three-day drive will continue from May 7 to May 9, which will be followed by catch-up of missed children, said a press release. In the entire Fata and Frontier Regions, 9,99,050 children below the age of five years would be administered oral polio vaccine by a total of 4,553 teams, comprising 4,168 mobile teams, 281 fixed teams and 104 transit teams.

In his statement, EOC Fata coordinator Mahmood Aslam Khan said: “I am confident that our frontline workers, with the support of political administration and law-enforcement agencies, will be able to achieve the target of immunising every child in the May campaign the way they did in implementing IPV-OPV first phase campaign in FATA last month.”

Multiple doses of polio vaccine are required for a child to be fully protected - sometimes more than 10, he said, adding, “Each additional dose further strengthens a child’s immunity level against polio.” He emphasised that polio high-risk mobile population and particularly target mobile population on the cross borders should be focused and every child must be immunised.