Sindh Health Minister Dr Azra Pechuho on Monday inaugurated a 13-day measles and rubella (MR) vaccination campaign across the province, urging parents not to pay heed to rumours and to ensure timely immunisation of their children. “Vaccination is the only effective protection against measles, rubella, polio and other preventable diseases,” she said while speaking at the launch ceremony held at a special needs school near Numaish Chowrangi.
Under the campaign, children aged six months to five years in all 30 districts of Sindh will receive the MR vaccine. In 23 high-risk districts, children up to five years will also be administered oral polio vaccine (OPV). More than 30,000 frontline workers have been deployed, including 6,532 vaccinators and an equal number of team assistants. The effort is supported by 393 second-level supervisors, 1,645 first-level supervisors, and an additional 5,219 team assistants and 5,219 social mobilisers.
The provincial target is to vaccinate 8.2 million children with the MR vaccine and 8.4 million with OPV.