After the declaration of a state of emergency by the WHO on polio, the Pakistani government reacted. All people leaving the territory will be vaccinated.
Vaccinations will be carried out at all airports and at Pakistani borders to prevent the spread of the disease across the world.
Pakistani government spokesman Sajid Ali Shah said that “special measures will include the establishment of compulsory vaccination kiosks at all airports, border crossings and seaports for all travelers.”
This, after the WHO has recommended that all people residing in Pakistan or staying there for a long period to be vaccinated at least 4 weeks before the stay. Specifying that in the event of an urgent departure, the vaccine can be administered immediately after departure.
Health Minister Saira Afzal Tarar reacted, saying the measures could make life more difficult for Pakistanis. According to her, by recommending restrictions on travel to Pakistan, the WHO has empowered those opposed to immunization campaigns.
Pakistan’s polio eradication efforts have also been hampered by some Taliban opposed to polio vaccination campaigns. Armed groups have stepped up deadly attacks on vaccination campaigns in Pakistan, targeting those bringing these vaccines to the northwest of the country as well as those administering them.
A global state of emergency
This announcement comes a few days after the alarm of the WHO, which declared a “global state of emergency”, concerning the polio epidemic which today affects 10 countries in the world, and particularly Pakistan, the Iraq and Equatorial Guinea. The WHO had said those three countries had the highest risk of spreading the virus.
The organization also explained that between January and April, which is usually a low season for polio transmission, three new outbreaks of imported polio cases were detected in Afghanistan, Iraq and Equatorial Guinea. The presence of imported cases in these 3 countries is cause for concern, because if things continue like this, the situation could end in “the failure to eradicate one of the most serious vaccine-preventable diseases worldwide.” “
A very contagious disease
Polio is an extremely contagious disease affecting mainly children under 5 years old.
The polio virus is spread through contaminated food or water and spreads through the intestine. It can reach the nervous system and cause paralysis (in one in 200 infections). Within hours, it can be irreversible.
WHO recorded 91 cases of polio last year. According to the WHO, the number of cases has still fallen by 99% since 1988, thanks to the global effort to eradicate the disease.
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