Father rejects polio drops for son but later gets vaccinated himself

SKARDU: A man in Skardu who first refused to let his five-year-old son take polio drops later agreed to the vaccination — after the Assistant Commissioner (AC) personally convinced him by taking the drops himself.

According to District Health Officer (DHO) Skardu, the ongoing polio vaccination drive has successfully immunized around 38,000 children across the district with strong support from local communities.

During the campaign in Ghanche district, one resident initially refused the vaccine for his son. To reassure him, the AC demonstrated the vaccine’s safety by taking the drops himself. The father was then convinced, allowed his son to be vaccinated, and later admitted it was a mistake to refuse earlier.

Officials said the act helped build public trust and showed that the polio vaccine is safe, effective, and essential for children’s health.

The national anti-polio campaign, running from October 13 to 19, involves more than 400,000 health workers visiting homes across Pakistan to ensure every child under five receives the drops.

So far in 2025, Pakistan has reported 29 polio cases — 18 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 9 in Sindh, and one each in Punjab and Azad Jammu and Kashmir.

Pakistan remains one of only two countries in the world, alongside Afghanistan, where polio is still endemic. Health officials continue urging parents to cooperate with vaccination teams and ensure their children are fully immunized.

Polio is a dangerous disease that can cause lifelong paralysis, but timely vaccination protects children and helps keep communities safe.

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