50 refusal cases reported during anti-polio drive in Chitral

CHITRAL: As many as 50 refusal cases were reported across Chitral during the recently-held anti-polio vaccination campaign, a meeting was informed here on Friday.

This is for the first time that such a large number of people have refused vaccination of their children against the crippling disease.

In Dec 2018, a man in Jinjiret village was arrested after he refused to allow a polio team to administer drops to his children.

Also read: Constraints/hurdles behind polio vaccination

The district polio eradication committee (DPEC) at the meeting on Friday discussed the new proposed communication strategy for effective vaccination with parents of the targeted children.

The strategy was meant to deliver remove misconceptions about anti-polio drops.

Chaired by additional DC Zakir Hussain, the meeting was briefed by EPI coordinator Dr Fayaz Roomi about the growing incidence of vaccination refusal in the district after the recent Peshawar incident.

He said in all 50 vaccination refusal cases were reported in the district during the last campaign unlike the past campaigns during which the number remained zero or one.

The coordinator warned that more people would turn vaccinators away if proper steps were not taken to ensure their children’s vaccination.

Published in Dawn, May 18th, 2019