Pakistan initiated its first nationwide polio vaccination campaign of 2026 on Monday, with plans to vaccinate over 45 million children from February 2 to February 8, as announced by the National Emergency Operations Centre. The campaign was kicked off in Islamabad by Prime Minister’s Focal Person for Polio Eradication Ayesha Raza Farooq, in the presence of UNICEF and World Health Organization representatives. Farooq emphasized the significance of polio eradication, labeling the campaign as crucial in the battle against the disease.
Authorities in Pakistan are intensifying vaccination efforts due to the country being one of the few where polio is still prevalent. More than 400,000 workers will participate in the campaign, engaging in door-to-door vaccination and other related activities nationwide. Polio, a highly contagious disease caused by a virus, can lead to complete paralysis within hours of infection. The virus spreads through person-to-person contact, primarily through the fecal-oral route or occasionally via contaminated water or food.
Polio primarily impacts children under 5 years old, although unvaccinated individuals of any age are susceptible. While there is no cure for polio, it is preventable through vaccination. Administered multiple times, polio vaccines offer lifelong protection. The two available vaccines, oral polio vaccine, and inactivated polio vaccine, are both effective and safe, tailored to local epidemiological conditions to ensure optimal population protection.
