Islamabad, June 1, 2024 –

More than 16.5 million children under the age of five will be vaccinated in a crucial polio campaign beginning on June 3 in 66 districts, ahead of the high-travel season of Eid-ul-Adha.

The five-day campaign will be implemented in 36 districts in full and partially in 30 districts, including Islamabad, 20 districts of Balochistan, 23 districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 16 districts of Sindh and six districts of Punjab.

Coordinator to the Prime Minister on National Health Services has called on parents and caregivers to ensure that their children are vaccinated during the campaign.

“Poliovirus has paralyzed 04 children this year and is consistently being detected in sewage samples, which means the risk to children remains very high,” he said, adding that the government is launching this crucial vaccination campaign right before Eid to prevent the virus from moving with people and finding more children to target.

“We are resolved to end polio from our country and the support of parents and communities is critical in helping us achieve this goal,” he said.

This is the fifth polio vaccination campaign of the current year.

In light of the ongoing heatwave in the country, the Polio Programme has implemented special measures for the wellbeing of polio vaccinators, encouraging them to follow the heat advisory guidelines effectively. The initiative includes adjusting working hours to cooler periods including early mornings and late afternoons, providing access to hydration resources, promoting the use of protective clothing, scheduling regular rest breaks in shaded areas, educating workers on heat-related illnesses, maintaining the cold chain for vaccines diligently, conducting daily team briefings on heat safety measures, and engaging with communities to facilitate smooth campaign operations. By implementing these measures, the programme aims to safeguard the well-being of polio workers and enhance the successful delivery of vaccines in challenging weather.

Note:

Polio is a highly infectious disease caused by poliovirus mainly affecting children under the age of five years. It invades the nervous system and can cause paralysis or even death. While there is no cure for polio, vaccination is the most effective way to protect children from this crippling disease. Each time a child under the age of five is vaccinated, their protection against the virus is increased. Repeated immunisations have protected millions of children from polio, allowing almost all countries in the world to become polio-free, except for the two endemic countries of Pakistan and Afghanistan.

For further information, please contact: Ms Hania Naeem, Communications Officer, NEOC,

Contact No:+923431101988

Email:  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.