Refusing to Vaccinate Your Children in Sindh Could Soon Lead to Blocked SIMs and CNICs
Key Takeaways
- Sindh CM Murad Ali Shah is considering tough punitive measures against parents refusing polio vaccination for their children.
- Proposed measures include blocking mobile SIM cards, suspending CNICs, and revoking passports of non-compliant parents.
- A Polio Vaccine Refusal Cell will be established at the CM House to track and engage parents who refuse immunization.
- The Chief Minister warned health officials that poor performance in vaccination drives will lead to removal from their posts.
- Vaccination campaigns must be intensified, focusing specifically on nomadic families in high-risk divisions like Hyderabad and Mirpurkhas.
Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah announced that the provincial government is contemplating stringent punitive measures against parents who refuse to vaccinate their children against poliovirus, emphasizing that such refusal endangers the entire community. The proposed actions involve blocking mobile SIM cards, suspending National Identity Cards (CNICs), and revoking passports of non-compliant individuals. Shah tasked the Chief Secretary with preparing a detailed proposal for implementing these measures. Furthermore, a dedicated Polio Vaccine Refusal Cell will be established at the CM House to monitor union council-wise refusal data and engage parents through various channels to ensure compliance. Expressing deep concern over recent polio case detections, the CM ordered intensified vaccination drives, particularly targeting nomadic families in border areas like Hyderabad and Mirpurkhas divisions, and warned health officials that poor performance would result in removal from his team. Sindh has reported nine polio cases this year, contributing to the 29 cases recorded nationwide.
