Pakistan Launches Nationwide Polio Vaccination Drive from Oct 13

ISLAMABAD: The government will launch a nationwide polio vaccination campaign from October 13 to 19 in a renewed push to eradicate the virus from the country.

According to the National Emergency Operations Centre (NEOC), the drive aims to immunise more than 45 million children under the age of five across all provinces and territories. In addition to oral polio drops, children will also receive supplementary doses of vitamin A to boost immunity.

Regional targets include more than 23 million children in Punjab, over 16 million in Sindh, 7.2 million in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 2.6 million in Balochistan, 460,000 in Islamabad, 760,000 in Azad Jammu and Kashmir and 280,000 in Gilgit-Baltistan.

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The campaign comes amid rising concern over an uptick in polio infections. NEOC data shows that 23 cases have been reported so far this year. In response, authorities had already conducted a national campaign in early September, followed by a targeted drive in southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa — identified as a persistent reservoir of the virus.

More than 28 million children in 99 high-risk districts were covered during the previous effort. Officials say success now hinges on strict monitoring and cooperation from local communities.

Health authorities have urged parents to ensure their children are administered polio drops during the upcoming drive, stressing that eradication remains a top national priority.

Pakistan is among the few countries in the world where the poliovirus remains endemic. The latest campaign is part of a broader strategy to interrupt transmission and protect future generations.