There has been an increase in cases of parents refusing to vaccinate their children with polio drops.
The Emergency Operations Center (EOC) has reported that Karachi has the highest rate of non-vaccination.
According to the data, at least 37,711 parents refused to get the polio vaccine in May last year.
The number of parents refusing to get their children vaccinated has increased as parents in the city have been consistently declining the number of children vaccinated against polio.
According to the data for May, the worst-affected region of Karachi is District East, where 9,433 parents refused. District Central had 7,141 refusals, while Keamari had 7,111 parents.
At least 3,453 parents in Korangi and 4,606 parents in Malir district refused vaccination. The EOC also noted that 3,145 parents from District South and 2,922 from District West refused vaccination in May.
The EOC said that 37,360 parents had refused to receive the anti-polio vaccine in April.
The Centre said, “The refusal rate during the anti-polio campaign remains a constant challenge. Continuous cooperation of parents is needed to eradicate polio.”
Special attention is being paid to polio-vulnerable union councils. Misconceptions and lack of awareness are identified as the main reasons for refusal of the vaccine.
