Admn convinces parents about anti-polio vaccine

Ghulam Mursalin Marwat

LAKKI MARWAT: The district administration successfully convinced parents influenced by wrong and frightened rumours about anti polio vaccine, on immunization of their kids against the crippling disease.

Many parents had refused to administer their children with oral polio vaccine after Monday incident that occurred in Peshawar following spread of rumours that some children had suffered reactions because of anti-polio vaccine. The local health authorities reported to administration that several parents are not willing to have vaccines administered to their children in Tajazai union council.

Local deputy commissioner Jehangir Azam Wazir took notice of reports and rushed to the area along with officials of health department and partners’ organizations. He het area elders local bodies’ members and parents and convinced them on vaccination of children.

The deputy commissioner himself took two drops of vaccine before them and also administered around three dozen kids under the age of five with oral polio vaccine and vitamin A drops. Some vaccinated children had not been immunized against the disease for last one year.

The deputy commissioner told people that some mischievous elements had spread rumours about anti polio vaccine in Peshawar on Monday so as to sabotage government’s efforts aiming to eradicate polio. He asked parents no to believe in false rumours and cooperate with polio teams. People should clear their minds about usefulness of anti-polio vaccine for their children”, he maintained, adding that the oral polio vaccine is completely safe for children health and parents should not be worried about it.

He said that two drops in each round could save children from lifelong paralyse therefore parents should not pay any heed to hearsay about anti polio vaccine. Wazir said that eradication polio was a national obligation and the religious scholars, local government representatives and elders should extend all out support to local administration, health department and partners organizations in that regards.