PESHAWAR: In response to the spread of measles, diphtheria, and other childhood illnesses in the province, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa health department has decided to launch a significant immunization drive.
Dr. Muhammad Arif Khan, the director of the Expanded Programme on Immunization in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, told Dawn that within the past year, the extremely contagious disease has killed 13 people and infected 1,400 individuals in the province.
The primary problem we have is that 75% of those who contracted the measles were more than two years old. That occurred since the majority of those kids missed their scheduled vaccinations because our staff members have been extremely occupied with coronavirus-related activities since 2020,” the speaker stated.
In addition to measles, a diphtheria outbreak occurred in the province, according to Dr. Khan, with the majority of victims being older than two.
According to him, infants under the age of two are frequently afflicted with these extremely contagious illnesses.
According to an EPI official, measles killed 13 people in the province in a single year
Since COVID-19 was a worldwide emergency, the majority of our 3,500 employees became preoccupied with pandemic-related tasks as soon as it started. Samples were taken from those who were suspected, and the exercise was followed by contact tracing of those who tested positive for the coronavirus and their vaccination history, he added.
According to the official, the EPI vaccinated 80% of the population against Covid-19 in accordance with international criteria; but, in the process, it was unable to vaccinate all children, which resulted in the spread of diseases that could have been prevented by vaccination.
He claimed that because of the government’s repeated lockdowns—including intelligent ones—during the Covid-19 pandemic, health professionals were unable to contact the targeted demographic due to the attention being paid to Covid-related activity.
According to Dr. Khan, the World Health Organization, Unicef, and the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization met with the health department recently and came to an agreement over the August launch of the “Big Catch” campaign.
According to him, the campaign’s second and third waves would occur in the months of September and October, respectively, and it would immunize children under the age of five against childhood ailments.
“Routine immunization was severely impacted by this situation, which pervaded most countries, particularly the developing ones, with authorities concentrating their attention on the fight against Covid-19,” he stated.
According to the source, Gavi will handle all logistical support for the immunization campaigns that are coming up.
He stated that there were 1.1 million children in the province under the age of two, but that all eight million of those youngsters will receive vaccinations under the EPI.
“Our 2,000 immunization centers at public sector hospitals were open to the vaccination of children even before the start of the Big Catch campaign,” he stated.
According to Dr. Khan, the Pakistan Pediatrics Association and local elders have already joined forces with the EPI to guarantee that children receive vaccinations at designated locations to safeguard them from illness.
Since immunization is the only method to shield kids from fatal illnesses and promote healthy development, parents are ultimately responsible for making sure their kids are vaccinated. They will have a brighter future because of this, he remarked.
The province’s skilled vaccinators, who were instrumental in the battle against Covid-19, will be included in the drive to eradicate measles and other pediatric illnesses, according to the official.
Additionally, we have the backing of religious experts who are influencing people to vaccinate their children. Polio vaccine will also be a part of the program, he said.
To ensure their children’s health, Dr. Khan urged people to disregard “propaganda” that opposes vaccination against polio and other illnesses.
