Another polio case surfaces in Balochistan

Another polio case has been reported in Balochistan on Monday, taking the provincial tally to 16 in the ongoing year. 

The case was reported in Mian Ghundi Union Council Chiltan Town in Quetta, where a 20-month-old boy was confirmed with the virus. The samples were collected on July 25 and 26.

The child infected with the crippling disease has never been administered the anti-polio vaccine.

There are 64 cases reported in 2020 so far while the total number of cases reported in 2019 cases remains 147.

It is pertinent to mention here that the government of Pakistan resumed polio vaccination activities on July 20 with a campaign in selected districts after a four-month suspension of all vaccination activities due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Districts covered in the first round were Faisalabad, Attock, South Waziristan, and parts of Karachi and Quetta. Almost 800,000 children under the age of five vaccinated during the campaign.

The first polio immunization campaign in the country during COVID-19 pandemic has achieved desired results as 94 percent of the targeted children were administered polio drops during the drive. The campaign came to an end in a peaceful manner without witnessing any violent incident as law enforcement authorities provided adequate security to the volunteers during the immunization process.