'No detrimental impact of polio vaccines'

KARACHI: Sindh Secretary for Health, Syed Hashim Raza Zaidi has strongly dispelled the impression that repeated dosage of oral polio vaccine (OPV) could in any way be detrimental to the recipient children.

"On the contrary this strengthens their immunity against the wild polio virus that continues to exist in our environment," he said at the inaugural ceremony of the three day National Immunization Days at National Institute of Child Health (NICH) here on Monday.

The provincial health secretary said the country was making all out efforts to end the disease and during the current campaign no less than 6.5 million children, under the age of five, will be administered OPV, by 20,000 vaccinators in Sindh only.

Syed Hashim Raza Zaidi on the occasion urged the parents to see that concerned children are not denied of the essential drops that protect them against the crippling disease.

He said though just a single confirmed case of polio mellitus was reported from Sindh, during the first six month, yet there is no room for complacency as this reflects constant presence of the virus.

"A total of 30 cases of polio mellitus have been reported from the country including one in Sindh, three in Punjab, seven in Balochsitan and rest in Khyber Pakhtunkhawa," he said.

The EPI Manager said concerted efforts were being made in the country to eradicate polio virus and attain zero polio prevalence goal other wise children would remain vulnerable to polio virus induced disability.

Executive Director of NICH, Prof. Jamal Raza, a senior pediatrician urged for strengthening routine immunization program in the country.