Final polio vaccination campaign of 2025 underway, 38 million children immunised
A health worker administers anti-polio drops to a child during the launch of the citywide vaccination campaign, marking another crucial step in the fight to protect future generations from the crippling disease. PHOTO FILE: JALAL QURESHI/EXPRESS
Pakistan’s final nationwide polio vaccination campaign of 2025 continued for a fourth day, with authorities reporting that nearly 38 million children have been immunised.
Pakistan is one of only two countries in the world, along with Afghanistan, where polio has not yet been eradicated. The current campaign is being conducted simultaneously in both countries as part of coordinated regional efforts to eliminate the virus.
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According to the National Emergency Operations Centre (EOC), more than 37.8 million children under the age of five were administered polio drops during the first three days of the campaign, which began on 15 December and will run until 21 December.
Punjab recorded the highest coverage, with about 20.8 million children immunised, followed by Sindh with more than 7.4 million. In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, over 6.1 million children received the vaccine, while Balochistan recorded more than 2.1 million vaccinations.
Officials in Islamabad reported that over 417,000 children had been immunised. In Gilgit-Baltistan, more than 256,000 children received the vaccine, while Azad Jammu and Kashmir recorded over 689,000 vaccinations.
Health authorities said more than 400,000 polio workers are participating in the campaign, conducting door-to-door immunisations.
The National EOC has urged parents and communities to cooperate with vaccination teams, noting that polio is incurable and can cause lifelong paralysis. Officials appealed to parents to ensure all children under five are vaccinated.
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Low routine immunisation coverage, vaccine hesitancy, and population movement continue to leave spaces where the virus survives, and health officials have repeatedly warned that the success of the polio eradication programme depends heavily on community participation and public trust, particularly in high-risk areas.