By: Salman Yousafzai
The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Health Department has launched a big catch-up vaccination campaign for children under the age of five across the province, to provide vaccines against 12 deadly diseases to children who have missed out on routine vaccinations.
The campaign was inaugurated at Maulvi Ji Hospital in Peshawar, where Director General Health Services Dr. Muhammad Saleem Khan and Director EPI Dr. Asghar Khan formally launched the campaign.
According to officials, the campaign will continue from July 14 to July 25, and its target is about 700,000 children who have missed out on routine vaccinations due to various reasons.
More than 4,000 vaccination teams have been deployed across the province to ensure access to remote areas.
According to data released by the Health Department, 3,000 measles and 219 diphtheria cases have been reported in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa so far this year.
Officials say that the diphtheria vaccine is available in sufficient quantities, and no shortage has been reported in this regard. According to the health department, more than 500,000 children were vaccinated across the province in the previous campaign.
The current campaign is part of the government’s strategy aimed at filling the vaccination gap, protecting children from deadly diseases, and making the overall health system more effective.
The authorities have urged parents and guardians to cooperate in the campaign and get their children vaccinated on time to prevent the spread of infectious diseases.
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