Srinagar, Feb 29: The Directorate of Health Services, Kashmir (DHSK) is gearing up for an extensive vaccination campaign on March 03, 2024 – National Immunization Day.
The campaign is aimed at bolstering immunization efforts and raising awareness about the critical role vaccines play in preventing infectious diseases.
To kickstart the initiative, Asha workers organized an awareness rally in Lalchowk, Srinagar, under the guidance of Dr Rubeena, District Health Officer (DHO) Srinagar.
Dr Rubeena said, “We are organizing an awareness rally to inform parents about bringing their children aged 0-5 to designated booths and will receive vaccinations on Sunday, March 03. Our dedicated teams will be on the sites to administer essential polio drops.”
Dr Samina Jan, Zonal Medical Officer (ZMO) Srinagar, outlined the measures to reach every child in need of vaccination. “For individuals who are unable to avail the vaccination on Sunday, our dedicated Asha workers, in collaboration with the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) workers, will conduct house-to-house visits from March 04 to 05,” she announced. “This concerted effort aims to ensure that no child is overlooked or misses the opportunity to be vaccinated.”
Dr Jan appealed to the people to cooperate with the vaccination campaign, saying there is an urgent need to eradicate polio from the region. “Neighboring countries continue to pose a risk of importing the poliovirus into our area. Therefore, our collective efforts are crucial in eliminating this pervasive threat to public health and creating a polio-free environment,” she said.
While India has successfully eliminated polio, the risk remains in a few nations. Dr Samina urged parents to ensure their children receive the polio vaccine consistently. She called on them to contribute to the ongoing victory against the disease in India.
National Immunization Day not only protects individual children but also contributes to the broader goal of creating a polio-free world.
