The Ministry of Public Health said that this year’s final polio immunization campaign started in Afghanistan’s 21 provinces on Monday (December 25).

According to the ministry, the campaign was already ongoing in the eastern provinces from December 23, both ending on 29.

This round of immunization campaign will also cover children under 10, unlike previous drives which only covered those under five years of age.
 
“Refugees are coming from Pakistan to Afghanistan which further puts Afghanistan at the risk of polio. We ask all the families to take the vaccine seriously,” said Sayed Rohullah Ibrahimi, a vaccination worker.

“We face different reactions while vaccinating, some people deny the vaccine and some people misbehave. We ask people to get their children vaccinated against polio,” said Mahnaz, another vaccine worker.
 
According to the ministry, this round of the immunization campaign will last from 4 to 7 days.
 
“In the eastern zone of the country, the campaign started on December 23 and will continue till 29. Our aim is to eradicate the virus in the country. In the eastern zone which is more vulnerable to the disease, we expand the campaign and vaccinate children under ten as well,” said Sharafat Zaman Amarkhel, spokesperson for the Ministry of Public Health.
 
Afghanistan and Pakistan are the only two countries on earth that are still suffering from the disease.

Sharafat Zaman Amarkhel said to root out the virus in the country, they plan to vaccinate children under ten only in 42 eastern districts of the country.
 
“The vaccine is immunization against the virus because it creates antibodies in the body which prevents the virus from entering,” said Rohid, a doctor.

Meanwhile, common Afghans urged the ministry to continue the immunization campaign in the country.
 
Six positive cases of polio have been recorded this year in eastern provinces of Afghanistan.

According to the health ministry, 8.8 million children will be given the anti-polio vaccine during the seven-day campaign.