ISLAMABAD: More than 28.2 million children were vaccinated against polio as the September Sub-National Polio Vaccination Campaign successfully concluded across selected districts of the country, the National Emergency Operations Centre (National EOC) said.
According to the National EOC, the campaign was conducted from September 21 to 27 across 112 selected districts nationwide, with more than 273,000 male and female frontline polio workers performing duties to reach eligible children.
The September campaign was conducted simultaneously in Pakistan and Afghanistan as part of coordinated efforts to protect children against poliovirus transmission.
The National EOC said the polio vaccination campaign was postponed in three Punjab districts — Muzaffargarh, Dera Ghazi Khan and Rajanpur.
According to the province-wise figures released by the National EOC, approximately 8.064 million children received polio drops in 10 selected districts of Punjab, while more than 10.1 million children were vaccinated in 30 selected districts of Sindh.
In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, more than 7.194 million children received polio drops across 37 selected districts, while over 2.31 million children were vaccinated in 32 selected districts of Balochistan.
More than 443,000 children received polio drops in Islamabad, while over 140,000 children were vaccinated in two selected districts of Gilgit-Baltistan.
The National EOC expressed special appreciation for frontline polio workers, parents and communities for their cooperation and support in the successful implementation of the campaign.
It also appreciated the role of provincial and district administrations, health departments and law enforcement agencies for extending support throughout the vaccination drive.
The National EOC further acknowledged the contribution of partner organisations and the media in supporting the campaign and raising awareness about the importance of polio vaccination.
Reiterating its message to parents and caregivers, the National EOC said polio is an incurable but vaccine-preventable disease and urged families to ensure that every child under five receives polio drops during every vaccination campaign.
Parents were also advised to ensure that their children complete their full routine immunisation course on time to protect them against vaccine-preventable diseases.
