PESHAWAR: According to the statement of commissioner of Peshawar division Amjad Ali Khan, released on Wednesday, the laboratory test has found the anti-polio vaccine to be safe for children.
“None of the children taken to the hospitals on Monday had suffered from adverse reaction to vaccination. The laboratory test has declared the vaccine safe for children,” commissioner of Peshawar division Amjad Ali Khan told a seminar at the district council hall on Wednesday.
He also requested religious scholars and elected representatives to counter misconception spread by certain elements about anti-polio vaccination.
He asserted that the government will ensure that all children are vaccinated to prevent diseases.
Peshawar deputy commissioner Mohammad Ali Asghar highlighted the importance of the administration of anti-polio drops to children.
He said the administration had terminated the services of 448 community health workers and supervisors in Peshawar over dereliction of duty in the ongoing anti-polio campaign and would continue such crackdown.
Hospital director of the Lady Reading Hospital Dr. Khalid Masud said the public needs to ignore the propaganda against vaccines, adding that they had no side-effects.
He said it was necessary for the children to be immunized not only against polio but against all other vaccine-preventable diseases for their own health.
DHO Dr. Gul Mohammad said polio was the only childhood disease, which could be eradicated by vaccination.
The religious scholars, who were also in attendance, vowed to advocate vaccination in an effective manner and said they would tell people that the vaccination was purely a health matter and therefore, it should be allowed for the children’s good health.
Additional DC Shahid Ali Khan, AC Peshawar Sarah Rehman and Town-II Nazim Faridullah Khan also attended the event.
Meanwhile, officials of the health department told a private news source that the joint efforts by clerics and administration were the right approach to counter propaganda against anti-polio vaccination.
They said the people looked to clerics for guidance on controversial matters and therefore, their support would strengthen the immunization campaign.
The officials refuted the claims that the vaccines rendered the users infertile, and that Islam prohibits its precautionary use.
They said Badabher incident against vaccination, which turned out to be a conspiracy, endangered anti-polio campaign in Peshawar, one of the high-risk regions for the virus.
The officials said the department had been vaccinating over six million children in every campaign but a fraction (50,000) remained unvaccinated.
They said without tackling the issue administratively and religiously, vaccination campaigns won’t have a smooth sailing.
The officials said anti-polio workers couldn’t force the hostile people for vaccinating their children.
They said in the last few years, around 50 health workers and policemen were killed allegedly by militant groups.
The officials further added that few months ago, anti-polio workers marked the fingers of children without vaccinating them to show coverage on one hand and prevent the people’s anger on the other.
