ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s latest sub-national polio vaccination campaign has successfully reached more than 19.7 million children under the age of five across 81 high-risk districts.
This was announced by the National Emergency Operations Centre (NEOC). The week-long campaign ran from September 1 to 7 as part of the country’s ongoing efforts to eliminate poliovirus.
In Punjab, over 4.04 million children received the vaccine, while 8.72 million were covered in Sindh. Balochistan recorded vaccinations for more than 2.22 million children, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa vaccinated 4.025 million. In the federal and northern regions, the campaign reached 478,000 children in Islamabad, 112,000 in Gilgit-Baltistan, and 164,000 in Azad Jammu & Kashmir.
Acknowledging the effort, the NEOC praised parents, caregivers, civil administration, law enforcement agencies, and frontline polio workers. It described polio teams and their security personnel as “national heroes” for their dedication to ensuring a polio-free Pakistan.
However, the campaign faced delays in nine districts of Punjab, including Lahore, Sheikhupura, Kasur, Okara, Gujranwala, Sialkot, Multan, Muzaffargarh, and Bahawalpur, due to flooding that disrupted access.
New vaccination dates for these districts will be announced soon. In southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, including Bajaur and Upper Dir, the drive will begin on September 15, targeting 1.68 million children.
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