During the recent polio vaccination campaign in Pakistan, 215,119 parents refused to vaccinate their children against polio. According to media reports, over 215,119 cases of refusal were reported, whereas 1,54,736 parents were convinced to vaccinate their children. In Sindh, 1,36,707 parents refused vaccination, while in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 56,252 parents refused. In Punjab, 1,502 parents refused, while in Balochistan, 19,654 parents refused. In Islamabad, 1,004 parents refused vaccination. It is to be noted here that the parents who refuse to vaccinate their children against polio will have to face jail term and fine as the Sindh government has decided to take strict action against such guardians. The provincial government authorised deputy commissioners to take action against such parents Under the Sindh Immunization and Epidemic Control Bill 2023.

The parents who refuse to vaccinate their children will face a fine of 50,000 rupees and a one-month imprisonment. Parents who refuse to vaccinate their children will be identified by the health department and polio workers who will then take appropriate measures against them in coordination with the police. In this context, the Sindh police have been instructed to fully cooperate with the health department and polio workers. Pakistan earlier reported the fifth poliovirus case of the current year, sources within the Ministry of National Health said. The latest case is a two-year-old child from Quetta, Balochistan, who tested positive for wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1). Pakistan and neighboring Afghanistan are the only countries where the spread of polio has never been stopped.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan