KARACHI: In a decisive effort to curb vaccine-preventable diseases, the Government of Pakistan is launching a nationwide Measles-Rubella (MR) and Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV) campaign from November 17 to 29, 2025. The drive will be implemented through the Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI) and the Pakistan Polio Eradication Initiative (PEI).
According to official figures, Pakistan has reported over 131,000 measles cases during the past three years. Measles, a highly contagious and potentially fatal disease, weakens a child’s immune system and increases vulnerability to other infections. The upcoming vaccination campaign aims to protect millions of children and prevent further outbreaks.
Under the campaign, the MR vaccine will be administered to 35 million children aged six months to under five years across the country. Meanwhile, OPV drops will be provided in 89 high-risk districts, targeting 22.9 million children under five to prevent poliovirus-related paralysis. In total, the campaign seeks to reach more than 36.4 million children in Balochistan, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab, Gilgit-Baltistan, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, and Islamabad.
Health workers will vaccinate children through schools, healthcare facilities, and community outreach sites, ensuring that no child is missed. The Ministry of Health emphasized that this campaign comes at a critical time, as post-flood conditions — including stagnant water and overcrowded settlements — have heightened the risk of measles, rubella, and polio transmission.
Officials urged parents to fully cooperate with vaccinators and ensure that their children receive both MR and OPV vaccines. The campaign’s success, they noted, will be vital to safeguarding Pakistan’s children and sustaining progress toward disease eradication and public health resilience.
