Nationwide polio vaccination to begin this week

The government will launch an anti-polio vaccination drive from Dec 16 till Dec 22.

The nationwide tally of polio cases has reached 63 this year so far.

The Pakistan polio program said on Friday, “A large-scale polio vaccination campaign is being held in the country from December 16 to December 22 during which vaccinators will go house to house to immunize more than 44 million children under five in 143 districts against polio.”

“To keep children safe, it is critical for parents to welcome vaccinators among them and bring their children forward for vaccination.”

“Over 80,000 frontline workers will participate in the campaign, going door-to-door to ensure that no child is left unvaccinated,” it said in a statement. “To provide a secure environment for these efforts, 15,000 security personnel will be deployed across Sindh.”

The health department noted that the province had reported 17 cases of the virus this year, which highlighted the urgent need for effective vaccination campaigns.

“The situation remains critical, with most environmental samples testing positive for the virus, indicating ongoing circulation,” it said.

“This is the last campaign of the year, making it imperative that every child is vaccinated to stop the transmission of the virus and protect them from a lifetime of disability.”

For those who miss the vaccination during the campaign, the Emergency Operations Center’s Sehat Tahaffuz Helpline 1166 or WhatsApp Helpline 0346-7776546 would be available to provide assistance and information, the health department added.