Local sources have called for an independent field audit of vaccination records and ground coverage in Birmil and Toi Khulla after allegations of discrepancies emerged.

WANA: Questions have been raised over the implementation and reported coverage of polio and other immunization campaigns in Birmil and Toi Khulla tehsils of Lower South Waziristan, with local sources alleging that children in several areas may have remained without essential vaccines during the past 14 months.

According to sources, discrepancies have allegedly emerged between official campaign records and conditions on the ground. Sources claimed that some children were reportedly marked as vaccinated during the September polio campaign without receiving the oral polio vaccine, while complaints were also raised over the alleged wastage of vaccine doses to show completion of assigned targets.

The allegations have also prompted questions about the accessibility of vaccination teams, the actual number of children covered, vaccine utilization and monitoring mechanisms during polio and other routine immunization campaigns in the two tehsils.

Local sources have called for a transparent field audit by an independent team comprising senior officials from Peshawar to compare official records with the situation on the ground. They said such an exercise could help establish whether the coverage reported in government records accurately reflects the number of children who actually received vaccines.

Polio is a potentially disabling disease, and vaccination remains a key measure for protecting children from infection. Local representatives said any alleged negligence, inaccurate reporting or irregularity in immunization campaigns should be investigated through an impartial process.

They urged the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF, Community Engagement Network (ComNet), the Dera Ismail Khan commissioner and the chief secretary of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to order a special field audit covering polio and other immunization campaigns conducted in Birmil and Toi Khulla over the past 14 months.

The requested audit, according to local residents, should include vaccination team records, lists of targeted children, vaccine utilization data, micro-plans, monitoring reports and physical verification of coverage. They said a comparison of these records could determine whether children listed as vaccinated had actually received the required doses.

Local residents further called for the findings of any investigation to be made public and for action under the law if allegations are substantiated against any official or other responsible person.

However, the allegations have been attributed to sources and local circles and could not be independently verified at the time of publication. The position of the Lower South Waziristan Health Department and district administration was not included in the material provided. Their response, if received, should be incorporated into the report.