More than 23.4 million children have received polio vaccinations during the first five days of a sub-national immunization campaign across 97 selected districts in Pakistan, the National Emergency Operations Centre (NEOC) announced on Saturday.
The campaign is currently in its sixth day and is scheduled to continue without interruption until November 8. The nationwide drive aims to reach approximately 24 million children under five years of age and utilizes more than 200,000 frontline polio workers.
The NEOC stated that the campaign is being conducted simultaneously in Pakistan and Afghanistan as part of coordinated regional efforts to stop the spread of the polio virus and protect children from the crippling disease.
Regional data provided by the NEOC showed the following vaccination figures for the first five days:
Punjab: More than 9.025 million children in 13 selected districts.
Sindh: Over 6.856 million children in 20 selected districts.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP): More than 4.624 million children in 27 selected districts.
Balochistan: 2.169 million children in 31 selected districts.
Islamabad: More than 450,000 children.
Gilgit-Baltistan (GB): Over 161,000 children in three selected districts.
Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK): Approximately 192,000 children in two selected districts.
The NEOC warned that the threat of the polio virus persists across the country, noting that the disease is incurable and vaccination is the only effective prevention method. The center urged parents and caregivers to cooperate with vaccination teams to ensure all children under five receive drops. Additionally, the NEOC advised parents to complete routine immunization schedules for other vaccine-preventable diseases, emphasizing that community participation and sustained efforts are essential to achieving a polio-free Pakistan.
