Vaccinators told to end protest as measles inoculation drive kicks off

Terming the vaccinators’ protest prior to the measles and rubella (German measles) inoculation campaign “unethical”, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Monday advised them to join the vaccination drive, saying that he has asked the health secretary to resolve their issues and meet their just demands.

“I’ve asked the health secretary to resolve the vaccinators’ issues and fulfil their just demands, but it’s unethical to protest and boycott duties before important vaccination drives,” the CM told the media after launching the measles and rubella immunisation campaign at the NJV School on MA Jinnah Road.

Despite the vaccinators’ protest in the entire province, the inoculation drive against measles and rubella commenced smoothly, and thousands of children between the ages of nine months and 15 years were vaccinated against the viral diseases.

Nurses, paramedics and lady health workers participated in the campaign, while in some cases, even doctors and medical students volunteered to administer vaccine shots to children.

The chief executive said that during the drive, some 19 million children aged nine months to 15 years in the province will be vaccinated against measles and rubella, while 8.2 million children up to the age of five years will be administered polio drops.

The inauguration ceremony was organised at the NJV (Narayan Jagannath Vaidya) Government Higher Secondary School, the first and oldest public educational institute in the province that was founded by educationist Sir Bartle Frere in 1855.

Sindh Parliamentary Health Secretary Qasim Siraj Soomro, Health Secretary Zulfiqar Shah, Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI) Project Director Dr Irshad Memon, Karachi Health Director Dr Akram Sultan, Unicef Communication Specialist Suneel Raja and others were also present on the occasion.

CM Shah said it is his government’s prime responsibility to safeguard the children as well as the adult population of the province from deadly and communicable diseases.

“The health department through the EPI has played a vital role in improving immunisation services to prevent significant outbreaks,” he said, adding that the nationwide measles and rubella catch-up campaign has started, and will continue until November 27.

He also said the Sindh Health Department with the support of the education department will cover over 6.5 million children in 71,856 public and private schools. He announced that the remaining eligible children will be covered through fixed, outreach and special mobile teams.

He requested parents to cooperate with government and health teams for getting their children vaccinated. “The Sindh government’s efforts have resulted in zero cases of polio in over a year, and our environmental samples have also come negative for the first time,” he said, terming it a big achievement.

Lauding the support from communities and the media to purge the province of the crippling disease, he urged all parents to get their children vaccinated. “The EPI is offering free immunisation against 12 deadly diseases, and it should be our responsibility to protect our future generations.”

Earlier, the CM inaugurated the drive by witnessing the vaccination process and administering polio drops to children. Replying to a question, he said a survey is being conducted to assess the losses in the fire that broke out in Saddar’s Cooperative Market on Sunday.