Pakistan’s 40th Polio Case in 2023: Nationwide Vaccination Drive Begins
Islamabad, Pakistan – A new polio case has been reported in Pakistan, marking the 40th case this year. A two-and-a-half-year-old child from Kohat district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has contracted Type-I poliovirus. This is the second case in Kohat, with four sewage samples from the area testing positive for the virus.
In response, Pakistan is launching a nationwide polio vaccination campaign to immunize over 4.5 million children. The campaign will occur in three phases, starting in Sindh on October 25, followed by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on October 28, and concluding in Punjab, Balochistan, and Islamabad on November 11.
The vaccination drive aims to cover 2.3 million children in Punjab, 1.6 million in Sindh, 730,000 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and 265,000 in Balochistan. Additionally, 461,125 children in Islamabad, 740,000 in Azad Kashmir, and 281,232 in Gilgit-Baltistan will be vaccinated. Vitamin A supplements will also be provided to children aged 6 to 59 months.
The campaign will involve 455,504 frontline workers to ensure the successful delivery of vaccines and supplements.
Doubts Revealed
Polio -: Polio is a disease caused by a virus that can make people very sick, sometimes leading to paralysis. It mostly affects children and can be prevented with a vaccine.
Type-I poliovirus -: Type-I poliovirus is one of the three types of poliovirus that can cause polio. It is the most common type and can spread easily among people.
Kohat district -: Kohat is a district in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. It is one of the places where the polio case was found.
Vaccination drive -: A vaccination drive is a large-scale effort to give vaccines to many people, especially children, to protect them from diseases like polio.
Sindh -: Sindh is one of the four provinces of Pakistan, located in the southeastern part of the country. It is the first place where the vaccination drive will start.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa -: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is a province in the northwestern region of Pakistan. It is the second place where the vaccination drive will take place.
Punjab -: Punjab is a province in Pakistan, located in the eastern part of the country. It is one of the places where the vaccination drive will conclude.
Balochistan -: Balochistan is the largest province in Pakistan by area, located in the southwestern part of the country. It is also part of the final phase of the vaccination drive.
Islamabad -: Islamabad is the capital city of Pakistan. It is included in the last phase of the vaccination drive.
Vitamin A supplements -: Vitamin A supplements are given to children to help improve their health and strengthen their immune system, making them less likely to get sick.
Frontline workers -: Frontline workers are people who work directly with the public, like doctors and nurses, to help keep everyone healthy. In this case, they are helping to give vaccines to children.