A new polio vaccination campaign is set to begin in Nangarhar, targeting 985,000 children under the age of five in Jalalabad city and 22 districts of the province.
Officials from the Nangarhar Public Health Department say the campaign will begin on Monday. In 14 districts, children will receive both injectable and oral vaccines, while in eight other districts, only oral polio vaccines will be administered.
Hukam Khan Gulabzoi, head of mass immunization in the eastern region, said: “In Jalalabad city and 22 districts of Nangarhar, 985,000 children under the age of five will receive polio vaccines through injections and oral drops. The campaigns will last seven and four days.”
Aminullah Sharif, head of the Nangarhar Public Health Department, said: “The campaign, which was inaugurated today, will begin tomorrow. In 14 districts, injectable and oral vaccines will be administered, while in eight districts, children will receive oral vaccines. The campaign will last seven days in 14 districts and four days in the other eight districts.”
Meanwhile, some Nangarhar residents say polio vaccination is crucial to protecting children from permanent paralysis and are urging families to ensure their children are vaccinated.
Zubair Ahmad, a resident of Jalalabad, said: “I urge all residents of Nangarhar to have their children under the age of five vaccinated during this polio campaign so they can be protected from permanent paralysis.”
Another Jalalabad resident, Zahidullah, also called on religious scholars, tribal elders and teachers to help raise awareness among families that do not vaccinate their children against polio.
Afghanistan and Pakistan remain the only two countries where wild poliovirus remains endemic. Polio is a viral disease that can cause permanent paralysis in children and has no cure. Health officials say vaccination is the most effective way to prevent the disease.