ISLAMABAD: Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed, the Director of the Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI) Punjab, urged parents on Thursday to ensure the vaccination of their children aged up to two years against 12 deadly diseases.
He also called upon society to reject anti-polio vaccination propaganda to safeguard children from the debilitating effects of poliomyelitis.
Dr. Ahmed said on the state news channel, “Our goal is to ensure that more children are protected from vaccine-preventable diseases, allowing them to live happier and healthier lives in the future.”
He emphasized the importance of post-birth vaccination for newborns as a safe and effective way to help them survive, thrive, and reach their full potential. Dr. Ahmed noted that newborns already have some protection against diseases through antibodies from their mothers, known as passive immunity. Still, this protection typically lasts for only a few weeks or months.
Dr. Ahmed highlighted that vaccinations provide long-term immunity to numerous diseases, which is crucial in a baby’s health, proper growth, and development. He underscored that children’s immune systems are more vulnerable to illness and disease. Top infectious disease experts and doctors design vaccination schedules to protect children from vaccine-preventable diseases as early and safely as possible.
Responding to a question, Dr. Ahmed emphasized the importance of vaccines in polio eradication. He acknowledged reported refusal cases in different areas of KPK but mentioned ongoing efforts to convince parents to administer anti-polio vaccines to their children.
While noting the decline in polio cases, Dr. Ahmed expressed concern about the virus appearing in sewage samples in various parts of the country, indicating that some population pockets were still missing out on vaccine drives. Despite the Punjab being polio-free for the last three years, Dr. Ahmed emphasized that as long as polio exists anywhere, it poses a threat to children everywhere. —APP
