A health worker administers polio drops to a child during the launch of the city-wide vaccination campaign, marking another crucial step in the fight to protect future generations from the crippling disease. PHOTO FILE: JALAL QURESHI/EXPRESS
Pakistan’s latest national polio vaccination campaign of 2025 continued for the fourth day, with authorities reporting that nearly 38 million children have been immunized.
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 carried out simultaneously in both countries as part of coordinated regional efforts to eliminate the virus.
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According to the National Emergency Operations Center (COE), more than 37.8 million children under five years of age received anti-polio drops during the first three days of the campaign, which began on December 15 and will last until December 21.
Punjab recorded the highest coverage, with around 20.8 million children immunized, followed by Sindh with over 7.4 million. In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, more than 6.1 million children received the vaccine, while Balochistan recorded more than 2.1 million vaccinations.
Islamabad authorities reported that more than 417,000 children had been vaccinated. In Gilgit-Baltistan, more than 256,000 children received the vaccine, while Azad Jammu and Kashmir recorded more than 689,000 vaccinations.
Health authorities said more than 400,000 polio workers are participating in the campaign, carrying out door-to-door immunizations.
The National COE has urged parents and communities to cooperate with vaccination teams, noting that polio is incurable and can cause lifelong paralysis. Authorities appealed to parents to ensure that all children under five years of age are vaccinated.
Read more: Why 40,000 Karachi families refused the polio vaccine
Low routine immunization coverage, vaccine hesitancy and population movement continue to leave gaps where the virus survives, and health officials have repeatedly warned that the success of the polio eradication program depends largely on community participation and public trust, particularly in high-risk areas.
