Polio transmission risk season begins

LAHORE:

Authorities have cautioned that sustained vigilance is essential during the ongoing high transmission season.

Speaking at a workshop organised by the Punjab Emergency Operations Centre, Chief Minister's Focal Person for Polio Uzma Kardar said the high transmission season for poliovirus has begun and will continue through October.

"The current weather conditions are highly conducive to poliovirus transmission. While Punjab has achieved remarkable progress, we cannot afford complacency until polio is eradicated completely and Pakistan achieves polio-free certification," she said.

She said extensive vaccination campaigns had been conducted ahead of the season, helping reduce the positivity rate of environmental samples across Punjab to two per cent, compared to 26% at the end of 2025.

She noted that out of 200 environmental samples collected in 2026, four had tested positive for the virus, while all environmental samples collected in May were negative.

"Punjab is registering important successes against polio, but these gains remain temporary as long as the virus exists anywhere in Pakistan," she emphasised.