Pakistan Is Arresting People Who Refuse to Vaccinate Their Kids Against Polio

The Pakistani government has issued hundreds of arrest warrants for those unwilling to vaccinate their children against polio, the latest effort to combat the surging public health crisis in the country. So far, 10 people have reportedly been arrested for refusing to vaccinate their kids

The deputy police commissioner for Peshawar, Riaz Khan Mahsud, told the New York Times that there have been as many as 16,000 cases of parents refusing to vaccinate their children. Mahsud added that there is “total determination” on the part of the police to arrest people if they refuse to get vaccinations, and that there is “no leniency” towards the measure.

Pakistan’s crackdown on those refusing to get vaccinations is a response to a growing polio outbreak in the country that is rapidly escalating. Last year, there were 306 cases of polio in Pakistan, according to the New York Times, a significant increase from previous years.