Islamabad – June 28, 2024 – More than 9.5 million children under the age of five will be vaccinated against paralytic polio in a mass vaccination campaign that kicks off on July 1.

The house-to-house campaign will be held in 16 districts of Balochistan, 11 districts of KP, eight districts of Sindh, five districts of Punjab and Islamabad from July 1 to July 7.

This polio outbreak response campaign is being held following the detection of polio cases in Balochistan and the detection of wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) in sewage samples of more than 40 districts. The vaccination campaign will be conducted in 41 districts, including 11 districts which will be covered partially.

Prime Minister’s Focal Person on Polio Ayesha Raza Farooq has urged parents to vaccinate their children in all polio drives to ensure that they are protected from this disability-causing disease.

“Keeping children safe from polio and driving this virus out of the country is the government’s top priority,” she said. “We are sending polio vaccination teams to citizens’ doorsteps, especially in areas where the virus is present. Make sure that you open your doors for these health workers and get your children vaccinated.”

Muhammad Anwarul Haq, Coordinator for the National Emergency Operations Center for Polio Eradication, said that this is a crucial campaign which is being held in areas where virus transmission is posing a risk to children’s wellbeing.

He said: “The Polio Programme has held five vaccination campaigns this year to boost children’s immunity. With the virus present in many districts, it is urgent for parents to ensure that their children do not miss any opportunity to vaccinate their children and participate in every polio campaign considering it a national duty.”

Note for Editor:

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.