KARACHI: Pakistan has entered the final days of a nationwide immunization campaign aiming to protect more than 35 million children against measles, rubella and polio, with health officials reporting that over 13.6 million children have already received polio drops in the first nine days of the drive.
The campaign, running from Nov. 17–29, is one of Pakistan’s largest child-health efforts this year, combining measles–rubella vaccination with intensified polio coverage in high-risk areas.
Pakistan is one of only two countries in the world, other than Afghanistan, where wild poliovirus remains endemic, making repeated vaccination essential to prevent outbreaks. Measles and rubella have also surged in recent years due to low routine immunization rates, population mobility and misinformation, prompting authorities to merge the campaigns and widen coverage across schools, madrassas, health facilities and temporary vaccination centers nationwide.
“In the first nine days, more than 13.6 million children have been given polio drops,” the National Emergency Operations Center (EOC) said, adding that 35.4 million children were being administered the measles–rubella vaccine, while 19.4 million children in 90 high-risk districts were receiving polio drops.
Of the 13.6 million children who have received polio drops so far, over 4.1 million were in Punjab, 4.6 million in Sindh, 3.1 million in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 1.2 million in Balochistan, 250,000 in Islamabad and 99,000 in Gilgit-Baltistan, according to official figures.
Pakistan has so far reported 30 polio cases this year. It recorded 74 cases in 2024, a sharp rise from six in 2023 and just one in 2021.
A spokesperson for the EOC said vaccines were being provided at government health centers, schools, madrassas and temporary vaccination sites.
Urging parents to ensure participation in the final days of the drive, the EOC appealed:
“Parents are requested to make sure their children receive polio drops in this and every future polio campaign,” calling protection against the virus a “national responsibility.”
Health officials say sustained nationwide coverage is crucial as Pakistan continues efforts to interrupt wild poliovirus transmission and curb recurring measles outbreaks. The government has deployed thousands of vaccinators, surveillance teams and mobile health units to reach remote and underserved communities.
Polio is a highly infectious and incurable disease that can cause lifelong paralysis. The only effective protection is through repeated doses of the Oral Polio Vaccine for every child under five during each campaign, alongside timely completion of all routine immunizations.
The South Asian natioon’s efforts to eliminate poliovirus have been hampered by parental refusals, widespread misinformation and repeated attacks on anti-polio workers by militant groups. In remote and volatile areas, vaccination teams often operate under police protection, though security personnel themselves have also been targeted and killed in attacks.
