Anti-Polio campaign to vaccinate over 24 million children starts today

Islamabad: A vaccination campaign to immunize more than 24 million children under the age of five against poliovirus will begin in 91 districts of the country today.

The campaign is being held in Islamabad, 10 districts of Punjab, 24 districts of Sindh, 26 districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and 30 districts of Balochistan, during which polio teams will go house-to-house bringing the crucial oral polio vaccine with them.

Dr. Malik Mukhtar Ahmed Bharath, the PM’s coordinator for national health services, stated that the government is dedicated to making sure that every child is shielded from this horrible illness.

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“Poliovirus remains a serious threat to children’s well-being as it has been detected in multiple sewage samples in the country in recent months,” Dr. Bharat stated. The only method to safeguard children from this disease is to vaccinate them.

“We are sending polio teams to your homes, so make sure to open your door to vaccinators and get your child vaccinated,” he added.

Dr Shahzad Baig, Coordinator of the National Emergency Operations Center for Polio Eradication, said that this is a critical campaign being held in districts with high risk of poliovirus spread.

“We have detected the virus in over 31 districts this year, which is why we are continuing to implement regular vaccination campaigns in all high-risk districts to ensure that children have the immunity to fight off polio infection,” he said.