The deputy commissioner of Hyderabad has declared the intention to levy fines on parents who refuse to vaccinate their children against polio.
In line with a notification, Deputy Commissioner Tariq Qureshi has been granted the authority to impose fines under Section 1. Alongside fines, parents who decline polio vaccination for their children may also be subject to potential jail sentences. The notification specifies that such parents could face a fine of Rs. 50,000 and a month-long imprisonment. The Deputy Commissioner has urged the public to back the government’s endeavours in eradicating polio by ensuring their children are vaccinated.
It’s worth noting that a nationwide vaccination drive aiming to immunise over 24 million children under the age of five against poliovirus commenced yesterday.
Throughout the campaign, children will receive vaccinations in Islamabad, 10 districts of Punjab, 24 districts of Sindh, 26 districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and 30 districts of Balochistan. According to PM’s Coordinator on National Health Services Dr. Malik Mukhtar Ahmed Bharath, poliovirus has been detected in numerous sewage samples in the country in recent months. He stressed that polio can only be prevented through the administration of polio drops to children.
