The National Emergency Operations Centre (NEOC) has wrapped up a week-long polio vaccination campaign that ran from September 1 to 7. The drive successfully reached more than 19.7 million children under the age of five across 81 high-risk districts of Pakistan.
According to official figures, Punjab recorded over 4.04 million vaccinations, while Sindh led with approximately 8.72 million children receiving the drops. In Balochistan, more than 2.22 million children were covered, and another 4.025 million were immunised in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The campaign also extended to smaller regions. In Islamabad, 0.478 million children received the vaccine. Gilgit-Baltistan reported 0.112 million immunisations, and in Azad Jammu and Kashmir, 0.164 million children were reached. The NEOC expressed deep gratitude to parents, caregivers, civil administration, security forces, and frontline health workers for ensuring the success of the anti-polio drive.
However, the polio vaccination campaign in nine districts of Punjab, including Lahore, Sheikhupura, Kasur, Okara, Gujranwala, Sialkot, Multan, Muzaffargarh, and Bahawalpur, had to be postponed. Flooding disrupted access in these areas, making it impossible for health teams to carry out the exercise. Authorities confirmed that new dates would be announced soon to guarantee that no child is left unprotected.
In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s southern belt, the campaign is scheduled to resume in Bajaur and Upper Dir from September 15. This round aims to immunise another 1.68 million children. Officials stressed that every child under five must receive the drops during each immunisation campaign to maintain safety against the crippling disease.
Parents and caregivers have been urged to cooperate with teams and ensure children are vaccinated. The NEOC also reminded families that unvaccinated children can be reported through the Sehat Tahaffuz Helpline at 1166, or by messaging the 24/7 WhatsApp Helpline at 0346-7776546.