Islamabad: A nationwide anti-polio campaign will begin on October 13 and continue until October 19, aiming to vaccinate more than 45 million children under the age of five against the crippling disease.
According to the spokesperson for the National Emergency Operations Centre, Vitamin A supplements will also be provided to strengthen children’s immunity during the campaign.
More than 400,000 trained polio workers will take part in the drive, visiting homes across the country to administer the vaccine drops. During the campaign, over 23 million children in Punjab, 10.6 million in Sindh, 7.2 million in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 2.6 million in Balochistan, 460,000 in Islamabad, 760,000 in Azad Kashmir, and 280,000 in Gilgit-Baltistan will be vaccinated.
The spokesperson appealed to parents to cooperate with vaccination teams and ensure their children receive the life-saving drops. He stated, “Protection from polio is just a few drops away — our goal is to keep every child safe and healthy.”
He added that parents should also complete their children’s immunization schedules on time to safeguard them from other preventable diseases. The spokesperson confirmed that all logistical arrangements have been finalized by the National Emergency Operations Centre and that a coordinated strategy has been implemented at the district, provincial, and federal levels.
For further information or complaints, citizens can contact the helpline at 1166.
