• The Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the National Institute of Health has confirmed the detection of two wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) cases in Pakistan, bringing the number of total cases in the country this year to 67.
  • On Thursday, December 26, the lab confirmed one polio case each from Tank and Kashmore.
  • This is the fourth polio case from Tank and the second case from Kashmore this year.
  • Pakistan is responding to the resurgence of WPV1 this year with 67 cases reported so far. Of these, 27 are from Balochistan, 19 from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 19 from Sindh, and one each from Punjab and Islamabad.
  • Polio is a paralyzing disease that has no cure. Multiple doses of the oral polio vaccine and completion of the routine vaccination schedule for all children under the age of five is essential to provide children high immunity against this terrible disease.
  • The Pakistan Polio Program conducts multiple mass vaccination drives in a year, bringing the vaccine to children at their doorsteps, while the Expanded Programme on Immunization provides vaccinations against 12 childhood disease free of charge at health facilities. It is crucial for parents to ensure vaccination for all their children under the age of five to keep them protected.
  • A large-scale sub-national Polio vaccination campaign was conducted last week in Punjab, Sindh, KP, AJK, GB and Islamabad, vaccinating over 42 million children. The second phase of the campaign is scheduled to begin on December 30, covering the Balochistan province. To keep children safe, it is critical for parents to welcome vaccinators among them and bring their children forward for vaccination