Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif has urged parents to make sure children under five receive the pneumonia vaccine. She stressed that prompt immunisation and public awareness can help prevent the potentially deadly disease, speaking in a message marking World Pneumonia Day.
In her message, she said no one should lose their life to a preventable illness. She said the provincial government was taking steps, including modern healthcare facilities and free vaccination at hospitals, to combat pneumonia.
Free vaccines offered at provincial health centres
Under the provincial Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI), pneumonia vaccines are being given free of charge to all children under the age of two, she said. She urged parents to complete their children’s vaccination courses at basic and rural health centres across the province.
Also read: Mysterious illness kills five children in Khyber district
She added that prompt vaccination and diagnosis could save precious lives, especially those of children and older people. She said millions of children and elderly people worldwide die from pneumonia every year.
Winter care urged for elderly and young children
Sharif urged families to take extra care of their health during the winter season. She warned that the disease could be especially life-threatening for elderly people and children under five.
