Legal action will now be taken against parents who refuse to administer polio drops to their children after the National Assembly approved the law, while obtaining a polio vaccination certificate from NADRA has also been made mandatory.
The National Assembly approved the implementation of strict laws for the eradication of polio. Refusal of polio vaccination will result in a fine of Rs50,000 for the first offense and Rs100,000 for the second offense, while administration of all polio vaccine doses to children under the age of 10 has been made compulsory.
A certificate will not be issued if parents or guardians deliberately refuse vaccination. Under the new law, obtaining a polio vaccination certificate from NADRA will be mandatory, while educational institutions will require polio vaccination certificates from children under the age of 10.
A five year national anti polio strategy will be formulated for Islamabad. Pakistan still remains among the two countries affected by the wild polio virus, while the federal government will take special measures for the protection of frontline polio workers. Foolproof security arrangements will be made for polio teams in dangerous areas.
Threatening, intimidating, or attacking polio workers will result in seven years imprisonment and a fine, while the federal government will establish a special support fund for frontline polio workers. A bill based on special measures for the rehabilitation of polio affected individuals has also been approved.
Without a polio vaccination certificate, difficulties may be faced in certain government matters, while cases related to polio vaccination will only be heard by District and Session Judges.
