Special anti-polio campaign kicks off in Karachi
KARACHI: To prevent polio virus infections in children, the Sindh Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) for eradication of polio launched a special 16-day campaign in collaboration with Sindh EPI, WHO and Unicef and other partners in Karachi on August 15, with the Sindh Health Minister Dr Azra Fazal Pechuho in attendance. According to the campaign plan, deserving children will receive oral polio vaccine drops and fractional Inactivated Polio Vaccine (fIPV) in 85 union councils (UCs) of Karachi, which are considered as high-risk localities for children up to five years of age, in view of a long prevalence of polio virus in their environment. The fractional IPV, which is being used for the first time as an intradermal dose in Karachi, are likely to be administered in as many as 1.04 children between 4 months to 5 years of age, while OPV will be given to around 1.1 million children under the age of five years. Selected UCs belong to all districts of Karachi. The districts of ...