The Punjab government has announced the administration of measles vaccines in schools.
In an important step to protect children from measles, the Government of Punjab has decided to administer measles vaccines in schools.
A meeting was held under the chairmanship of Provincial Minister for Health and Population, Khawaja Imran Nazir, in which preparations for the measles/rubella vaccination campaign starting from November 17 were reviewed. A briefing was also given regarding the preparations for the anti measles campaign beginning on November 17.
The Secretary of Health and Population, Secretary of School Education, Special Secretary of Health, Additional Secretary of Education, AS Technical, and AS Vertical Program were present in the meeting, while CEOs of Health and Education from across the province attended the meeting online.
Speaking on the occasion, Khawaja Imran Nazir said that the Chief Minister of Punjab, Maryam Nawaz Sharif, wants to see every child healthy and strong. Along with the measles vaccine, instructions have also been given to administer polio drops in 11 selected districts.
He said that third party validation has been made mandatory for every special campaign. With the cooperation of the School Education Department, the HPV campaign also achieved historic success.
The provincial health minister said that with the cooperation of the School Education Department during the HPV campaign, more than 90 percent coverage targets were achieved. He added that working on disease prevention will help manage the load on hospitals.
Khawaja Imran Nazir said that all EPI vaccines in Punjab are 100 percent safe and used worldwide. The Private Schools Association should also be taken into confidence for the measles/rubella vaccination campaign.
He said that the EPI program will be further strengthened so that there is no need for any special campaign in the future. Due to timely measures, there has been a significant reduction in measles cases this year compared to last year.
Khawaja Imran Nazir stated that during the campaign, 17 million children will be administered the measles rubella vaccine, and 5.5 million children in the selected districts will also receive OPV vaccines. All health CEOs should ensure the availability of vaccines in every health facility in their respective districts.
The provincial minister further said that an effective monitoring system should be developed for the success of the campaign. Health and school CEOs should ensure coordinated communication, and there is no room for negligence.
