Punjab Starts Cholera Oral Vaccination With the Support of WHO
by Saeed Iqbal
SHARES
Director General Health Services of Punjab Dr. Haroon Jahangir Khan and representative of the World Health Organization in Pakistan Dr. Mahipala formally launched a cholera oral vaccination campaign in the public school of Lahore that is situated in UC 70.
This campaign is launched in seventeen high-risks union councils of Lahore. People of nine towns would get a vaccination against cholera in two phases. The first phase of the campaign was started on 10th August and would be continued to 15th August (14th will be off due to Independence Day).
The government of Punjab launched this cholera vaccination campaign with the support of WHO and UNICEF. At the launching occasion, Dr. Mukhtar, director of the Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI), said that every single person in the selected UCs will get a cholera vaccination. Furthermore, he said that children above the age of 1 year will also be vaccinated against cholera.
Cholera cases are increasing in many areas of Lahore. To stop this spread, medical experts recommended starting a vaccination campaign. The Punjab government aims to vaccinate 1.2 million people in the following UCs: Aziz Bhatti Town, Cantt, Nishter Town, Wahga Town, Shalimar Town, Samanabad Town, Gulberg, and Ravi Town.
Syeda Rama Ali, the EOC coordinator, assured support for this campaign in major areas. She said that sixty-two teams will administer the vaccination during the campaign. 31 teams will perform their duties in the morning and 31 in the evening. The teams adopted micro plans including a polio strategy to vaccinate the people.
WHO representative Dr. Mahipala appreciated the revolutionary step of the Punjab government to start a polio vaccination campaign. He said that the government also needs to create awareness among people and provide the facilities of clean water.
