Minister slams false information on polio vaccine

ISLAMABAD: Minister of State for National Health Services Saira Afzal Tarar on Saturday criticised elements causing misunderstandings about the polio vaccine by claiming that it caused infertility or was against Islam. She was speaking during the first consultation meeting of the National Islamic Advisory Group (NIAG) at the International Islamic University Islamabad (IIUI) on Saturday. “Since religion is being used to stop people from using the vaccine, the Ulema can play a role in raising awareness of how the use of the vaccine is not against Islam. Religious scholars should use the mosque to change opinions,” she said. “It is the government’s priority to protect citizens from diseases and find solutions to health problems, including the eradication of polio. Scholars should play a leading role in educating parents to vaccinate their children and ensure a healthy and happy life for them,” she added. The state minister urged the NIAG to handle concerns of those who believed that polio campaign was a conspiracy against Muslims. Focal Person of the Prime Minister’s Polio Eradication Cell Aysha Raza Farooq said the government was taking the polio issue very seriously, which is why it is being run under the administrative control of the prime minister (PM) at a federal level and chief ministers (CM) at a provincial level.“The government has been involving all stakeholders to get the best result from vaccination campaigns, and launch a polio campaign in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata),” Farooq said. Senator Maulana Samiul Haq endorsed the use of practical measures, and added that the government must set a policy line to get rid of any lingering reservations against the polio vaccine. Participants of the meeting were assured that neither the polio vaccine nor any of its ingredients was dangerous to health. The meeting paid particular attention to misinformation in the name of religion, which has led to communal fear regarding the polio vaccine and polio eradication programme.The meeting also discussed strategies to overcome the current situation, and political and religious challenges to polio eradication. Earlier, IIUI President Dr Ahmed Yousif Al-Draiweesh urged participants to convince their communities of the benefit of the vaccine. “Miscreants and forces against Islam are trying to create chaos, distress and anarchy in Muslim countries,” he said. Iqbal International Institute for Research and Dialogue Executive Director Dr Mumtaz Ahmad said the primary task of the NIAG was to support work of the Iqbal Institute through their influence on the Ulema. Published in Dawn, June 15th, 2014