KARACHI: Pakistan’s ongoing special anti-polio campaign has entered its fifth day across 79 selected districts, with more than 17.4 million children vaccinated during the first four days, according to the National Emergency Operations Centre (NEOC).
The nationwide campaign, running from May 18 to 24, aims to administer polio drops to approximately 19 million children under the age of five in high-risk and priority districts across the country. Around 163,000 frontline polio workers are taking part in the drive, conducting door-to-door visits to ensure maximum coverage and protect children from the crippling disease.
According to the latest update, Punjab has vaccinated nearly 5.536 million children, Sindh over 5.651 million, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa more than 4.084 million, Balochistan over 1.763 million, while approximately 435,000 children have received polio drops in Islamabad.
The NEOC reiterated that polio remains an incurable disease that can cause lifelong paralysis, emphasizing that repeated vaccination is essential to protect every child under five years of age. Parents have been urged to cooperate with polio teams, ensure their children receive polio drops in this and every upcoming campaign, and contact the helpline at 1166 or send a WhatsApp message to 0346-7776546 for assistance.
