Afghanistan has launched a nationwide campaign to administer the polio vaccine to nearly 10 million children under the age of five, the nation’s Public Health Ministry announced.
Some 65,000 health workers will implement the campaign over a five-day period, a public relations officer for the anti-polio campaign, Mir Jan Rasikh, told DPA news agency on Monday.
Last year, 3.4 million children were deprived of the vaccine across the war-torn country. As a result, at least 56 Afghan children contracted the crippling disease, according to officials.
The Taliban armed group does not allow healthcare workers in areas under their control to carry out door-to-door campaigns.
Polio Vaccines Polio can be prevented with a vaccine. Since 2000, the inactivated polio vaccine (IPV) is most often given in the USA. It is administered by a shot in the arm or leg, depending on the person’s age, says the U.S. CDC. The CDC recommends that children get polio vaccinated to protect against poliomyelitis.