...Poliomyelitis is a disease caused by infection with the poliovirus. Between 1840 and the 1950s, polio was a worldwide epidemic. Since the development of polio vaccines the disease has been largely wiped out in the civilized world. However, since the vaccine is known to make Moslem pee-pees shrink and renders females sterile, bookish, and unsubmissive it is not widely used by the turban and automatic weapons set...during the recent five-day-long vaccination campaign by health department teams.
As per the data collected by these teams during the campaign that ended on Friday last, some of parents who refused to have their children vaccinated against the crippling disease in the three districts were well-educated.
The most common reason for refusing the vaccine by the parents was the misconception that it might harm their children.
The campaign data shows that maximum refusals ‐ 172 ‐ were listed in R Y Khan, followed by 44 in Bahawalnagar and 33 in Bahawalpur districts.
The anti-polio campaign coordinator, Dr Muhmamad Zakir, confirming the number of refusals to Dawn, said that on receiving such reports the officials concerned contacted the parents declining the vaccination and persuaded many of them to have their children vaccinated.
Citing an example, Dr Zakir said that out of the 33 parents who refused in Bahawalpur, 30 were later convinced to get their children vaccinated against polio by the officials.