Dubai steps up polio vaccination drive in private schools

Dubai steps up polio vaccination drive in private schools

Health authority urges institutions to get unvaccinated children inoculated

File photo used for illustrative purpose

Published: Thu 1 Sep 2022, 4:14 PM Last updated: Thu 1 Sep 2022, 4:48 PM

The Dubai Health Authority (DHA) has recently issued a call in schools in the Emirate for unvaccinated children to get inoculated against polio.

This comes after fears about polio are rising in the US.

A recent circular issued by DHA to private schools in Dubai for polio vaccination, directs school clinics in the emirate to enhance polio vaccination coverage and following certain guidelines.

The letter that has already been received by certain schools and seen by Khaleej Times states, “The Dubai Health Authority advises all doctors and health care workers in schools to enhance polio vaccination coverage and adhere to the following measures.”

Listing out the guidelines the circular stipulates, school clinics must ensure the following:

Ensuring that students complete the polio vaccination regimen The prescribed vaccination regimen for Polio in UAE, are four doses of the inactivated polio vaccine (IPV) and three doses of Oral Polio vaccine (OPV) IPV doses are given at the age of 2, 4, 18 months and 5-6 years; OPV doses are given at the ages of 6, 18 months and 5-6 years