In brief
In Islamabad, Pakistan’s National Emergency Operations Center launched a polio campaign aimed at vaccinating roughly 24 million children under five in 97 districts. Over 200,000 frontline workers will conduct door‑to‑door inoculations through November 8, while Afghanistan runs a parallel drive. Officials urge parents to cooperate to strengthen immunity against polio.
In Islamabad, on Monday, Xinhua reports that the National Emergency Operations Center (NEOC) launched a sub‑national polio vaccination campaign aiming to immunise around 24 million children under five across 97 districts.
According to the NEOC, the drive will run until November 8, covering the nation’s northern, central and southern regions. The campaign focuses on door‑to‑door inoculations, a strategy that the center says increases coverage compared to mass‑campaign methods.
The NEOC deployed more than 200,000 frontline workers for the operation. Xinhua notes that these workers are stationed in local health posts but will travel into homes to administer the polio drops, ensuring that children who might miss clinic appointments receive doses.
Officials said that Pakistan’s effort is coordinated with neighboring Afghanistan, which is conducting its own polio vaccination campaign at the same time. The concurrent operations, the NEOC says, aim to reduce cross‑border transmission of the virus.
The NEOC urged parents to ensure that all children under five receive the recommended polio drops and to cooperate with vaccination teams. The center emphasizes that repeated doses strengthen children’s immunity against the disease, according to the statement.
With the campaign underway, public health authorities hope to curb the remaining transmission of polio in Pakistan and support global eradication efforts. The NEOC will monitor the rollout through the end of the week, reporting on coverage and challenges as the drive continues.