Islamabad - According to the data collected by the National Emergency Operations Centre (National EOC), a total of 10, 832, 898 children have been vaccinated against poliovirus on the first day of the current year’s last national polio campaign.
Some 147 districts / towns / agencies / FRs shared coverage details of first day of the polio campaigns that held on Monday with the National EOC. According to available information, Punjab vaccinated 5,968,789 children on the first day, a total of 441,886 children were vaccinated in Balochistan, 1,855,827 children got polio drops in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh vaccinated 2,204,885 children on the first day while G-B and FATA vaccinated 54,755, 162,974 respectively. In Islamabad a total of 81,482 children were vaccinated on Monday.
However, due to killing of a polio worker in UC-228 of Faisalabad on Tuesday, campaign got postponed in 5 union councils whereas the campaigns continued in rest of the district. Campaign in Islamabad also got postponed on Tuesday due to expected political demonstrations in city and deployment of security apparatus accordingly. In Gujranwala a man threatening the polio team has been arrested by the police.
Meanwhile, the prime minister’s focal person on polio strongly condemned the killing of a polio worker in Faisalabad and termed it as a supreme sacrifice in the larger interest of humanity and future of Pakistan. Ayesha Raza Farooq while expressing serious concern over killing of polio worker in Faisalabad urged the authorities to book the perpetrators.
“The attack is a part of anti-state agenda to digress Pakistan from the course of progress and development,” said Ayesha. Such incidents will not deviate Pakistan’s resolve to build a stronger nation through healthy and prosperous country, expressed Ayesha.
According to the information gathered by the National Emergency Operations Centre, polio teams were performing their job of vaccinating children against poliovirus when a motorcyclist fired at the male member Sarfaraz in Peoples Colony, UC-228, Faisalabad. The district management of Faisalabad has decided to convene a meeting with the CPO to review the security apparatus for the polio teams. An enquiry into the incident has been ordered by the Punjab government.
The investigation will also determine if the attack was related to the polio campaign.