Pakistan to launch nationwide anti-polio drive from December 15 

ISLAMABAD: The National Emergency Operations Centre (NEOC) has announced that a nationwide anti-polio vaccination campaign will be conducted from December 15 to 21 in Pakistan.

According to the National NEOC, more than 23 million children in Punjab will be vaccinated against crippling disease of polio, while over 10.6 million children in Sindh are targeted for immunization.

In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the campaign aims to vaccinate more than 7.2 million children, and in Balochistan over 2.6 million children will receive anti-polio drops.

The NEOC further stated that more than 460,000 children in Islamabad, over 228,000 children in Gilgit-Baltistan, and more than 760,000 children in Azad Kashmir will be covered under the drive.

The anti-polio campaign is part of Pakistan’s intensified strategy to protect children from the virus and achieve complete eradication.

Earlier, it was reported, citing sources, that the nationwide anti-polio drive, held in October, ‘failed’ to achieve set targets.

The campaign ran nationwide from October 13 to 19, aiming to vaccinate over 45 million children, the sources said. However, 1,096,525 children missed out on the vaccine, with 721,296 children unavailable for vaccination. Additionally, there were 53,621 reported cases of vaccine refusal during the campaign.

They further said, overall, the campaign achieved 98% of its intended target. During the campaign, 15 districts recorded polio coverage below 95%, 31 districts achieved coverage between 95% and 97%, and 113 districts exceeded 98% coverage.

The highest coverage of 101% was recorded in Gilgit-Baltistan.

In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 94% of children were vaccinated. Punjab and Sindh achieved 99% coverage, while Azad Kashmir and Islamabad also reached 99%. In Balochistan, 97% of children received the anti-polio drops.