Pakistan: Parents to face prison for not vaccinating their children against polio

Authorities in Pakistan's Sindh province are considering implementing prison sentences and fines for parents who do not vaccinate their children against polio and eight other diseases. This move comes in response to the refusal of polio vaccinations by around 62,000 parents, primarily in Sindh. This has led the authorities to propose a new law with penalties. Under the proposed legislation, parents who fail to ensure their child's vaccination against various diseases, including polio, measles, and pneumonia, may face a one-month jail term and a potential fine of $168, media reports said.

Polio challenge

Pakistan and neighbouring Afghanistan remain the only countries where polio has not been eradicated. Pakistan has faced significant challenges in eradicating polio due to various factors. This potentially fatal and paralysing disease primarily affects children under the age of five. It typically spreads through contaminated water sources.

Earlier this year, then-Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif convened an emergency meeting after the first polio case in 15 months was reported. This involved a 15-month-old boy in the North Waziristan district. Polio vaccination teams have also faced physical attacks across the country.

High refusal rates in Sindh

In Sindh province, the refusal rate for the vaccine is as high as 15 per cent, as reported by the Associated Press. The proposed legislation stipulated that doses would not be administered to children without parental approval.

Dr. Paul Offit, the director of the Vaccine Education Centre at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia,expressed concerns about rebuilding trust. He reportedly saidwhile the oral polio vaccine may not be the best, it is still better than not getting vaccinated.

"It’s ultimately the job of governments to stand up for children and we know that if we don’t vaccinate a certain percentage of children, that polio will always come back," he said.

WATCH WION LIVE HERE