Over a million parents in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) refused to allow their children to be vaccinated in 2019, according to a local media report on Sunday.

Data from the provincial health department showed a total of 10,89,087 parents refused polio vaccination for their children, with the highest number of refusal cases – 6,94,984 – reported in April.

Officials said a total of 79 cases have been reported in K-P in 2019 and the number is expected to rise before the year’s end.

“Negative propaganda against the polio vaccine, particularly the Mashokhel incident, had a significant impact in K-P. The doubts created by that false propaganda dealt a serious blow to anti-polio efforts this year,” said a senior official.