Nationwide anti-polio drive nears completion with 97% coverage, says NEOC

ISLAMABAD: The final day of the Pakistan-wide anti-polio drive is underway with full momentum, ARY News reported on Sunday, quoting the National Emergency Operations Center (NEOC).

According to the NEOC report, 97% of targeted children have been successfully administered the anti-polio vaccine over the six-day drive.

In Punjab and Sindh, 97% of children have received the vaccine, while the coverage stands at 98% in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and 97% in Balochistan.

Azad Jammu and Kashmir achieved a 98% target, and Gilgit-Baltistan and Islamabad exceeded expectations by vaccinating 101% of the estimated children.

The NEOC also stated that the synchronized polio campaign in both Pakistan and Afghanistan is progressing successfully.

Parents are urged to ensure that all children under the age of five receive their polio drops and complete their routine immunization schedule without delay.

Meanwhile, President Asif Ali Zardari on Tuesday urged the countrymen, including the media, teachers, religious scholars and the community, to create awareness and extend their support to the polio vaccination drive and dispel the allied misconceptions to achieve a polio-free Pakistan.

“I call on parents to open their doors to vaccinators, ensuring every child receives the life-saving polio drops. I urge teachers, religious leaders, and community elders to champion this noble cause, dispelling myths and building trust.

I appeal to the media to amplify the truth: the polio vaccine is safe, effective, and our best weapon,” the president said in his message on the occasion of the countrywide polio eradication campaign launched on Monday targeting 45.4 million under-five children.

He reiterated his full support to his daughter and the First Lady, Aseefa Bhutto Zardari, whose tireless advocacy and efforts had galvanized Pakistan in this fight against polio.