Frequent Questions and Answers on Polio Vaccine
What is polio and why it is dangerous?
Polio is a highly infectious virus that causes children under 5 to be paralyzed for life. The virus attacks the under-immunized children. The virus gets transmitted through open sewage systems and in unhygienic environment. Receiving polio vaccine together with the full routine immunization schedule is the only way for protecting children against polio. Vaccinating children at every campaign means continued protection from the virus that is circulating in our communities.
Why there is so much focus on polio?
Afghanistan and Pakistan are the only last two countries of the world that have the wild polio virus, which is the most dangerous. It is global efforts to protect every child, end polio from the world so other countries and children don’t get affected as well. It will be our pride as Muslims in Afghanistan to record in history that we did eradicate polio from the world by vaccinating every child at every campaign.
Is vaccine risky for my children?
Millions of children receive vaccines every year around the world at health facilities. The polio vaccine is one of the safest vaccines ever developed and it can be given to sick children and new-borns to protect them. Consult an officially licensed pediatrician for any questions to protect your child from life-time paralysis.
How about the vaccine substances and Islam? Is it Halal for Muslims?
The vaccine contains medicinal ingredients that help the child develop immunity against the polio virus. The Holy Quran discusses that Muslims should do their best to protect themselves from suffering and seek medication as possible. The polio vaccine helps protect children from suffering for life-time. Muslim countries like Saudi Arabia have mandatory polio vaccine for Haj. There have been many fatwas that polio vaccine is Halal for Muslims.
What is the source of the vaccine? Is it of good quality?
The vaccine is produced in Indonesia, a Muslim country and India where many Afghans seek quality medical care. The labs in both countries have passed vagarous testing process set by expert scientists at the World Health Organization of the United Nations. Other Muslim countries in our region use the same vaccine that we have here.
I vaccine my child against polio but some of my neighbors and relatives don’t. Will their actions affect my child?
Your child will remain at risk of polio because strong immunity of every child develops when the whole environment is safe and that every child is vaccinated so the virus doesn’t have a place to hide. To protect your own child, encourage your neighbors and relatives to vaccinate children at every time vaccine is available.
How about the polio vaccine and infertility?
Vaccine has been tested for safety in different countries of the world, including Islamic countries and is provided to millions of children in the world. In 2015, laboratories from Islamic countries proved that vaccine doesn’t have any ingredients that affect children’s fertility.
How about vaccinating the new born under 40 days?
In our community, always infants are at risk of infected by diseases. If the child is not taken to the nearby health service provider upon birth, chances he / she will fall ill quickly. Doctors discovered that those new born who get taken outside the house for fresh air, sunlight and vaccine will be most healthy.
How about the impact of polio vaccine on child behavior?
Vaccine promotes wellbeing/good health of children. When children are vaccinated, they will be healthy and grow well. Behavior of children is influenced by parent’s behavior. Hazrat Mohammad (PBU) said in Hadeeth that every head of group is responsible for own members and this applies to our responsibility towards children. To protect your loved children, vaccinate now to keep them healthy.
Why the campaigns get repeated? People feel the fatigue from frequent campaigns
The polio virus continues to circulate in our environment and paralyses many children. If there are unimmunized children, the risk is very high for life-time paralysis. The campaigns aim to protect every child and if all children are vaccinated, one day Afghanistan will end polio from the world. It is only two steps for us and Pakistan to finish off with the polio, for all the Muslim children to grow strong and healthy. This starts with vaccinating at every time vaccine is given.
