RASC News Agency: The organization known as “Afghanistan Polio-Free” has announced the initiation of the polio vaccine administration campaign in multiple provinces of the country. According to a statement released by this organization on the social media platform X, the campaign is scheduled to commence on Monday, Feb 26, across 21 provinces nationwide.
During this polio vaccine administration campaign, children under the age of five in 21 provinces will receive the polio vaccine. In the current year, four cases of polio have been reported in the country, all of which were in Nangarhar province. Afghanistan and Pakistan remain the only countries in the world that have not yet achieved complete eradication of the polio disease.
Polio vaccine campaigns are conducted every three months in the central areas of provinces and districts of Afghanistan, with a focus on children under the age of five. It is noteworthy that polio vaccine campaigns in Afghanistan and Pakistan encounter challenges due to misinformation, including the false belief that the polio vaccine leads to infertility.
Moreover, restrictions imposed by the Taliban on women’s employment have resulted in a shortage of female vaccinators in areas of Afghanistan under the group’s control. In accordance with Taliban restrictions, female vaccinators are required to participate in polio vaccine administration campaigns while adhering to religious modesty and hijab.
Polio, also identified as infantile paralysis, is a highly contagious disease capable of causing permanent paralysis or death. Especially in young children, the lifelong disabilities stemming from this disease endure, with the poliovirus commonly transmitted through contaminated water sources.
