Polio Update – Islamabad – July 23, 2024 Sewage samples from two previously infected districts have tested positive for wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1), underscoring potential risks to unvaccinated children.

The Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the National Institute of Health has notified that environmental samples collected on July 2 from Jacobabad and Qambar districts contained WPV1.

The Pakistan Polio Programme has implemented six polio campaigns so far this year, including two nationwide campaigns that vaccinated over 40 million children under the age of five in January and February 2024.

With nine reported cases and the virus reported in 52 districts so far this year, it is essential for parents across the country to understand that this virus continues to pose a constant threat to the wellbeing of their children and make sure to vaccinate their children at every opportunity.

Polio is a devastating incurable disease that can leave a child paralyzed for life. Repeated vaccination is essential to protect children from lifelong disability caused by poliovirus. The Pakistan Polio Programme urges all parents and caregivers to ensure that their children are vaccinated against polio at every opportunity and have completed all routine vaccinations to protect them from 12 vaccine-preventable childhood diseases. 

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

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