A health worker administers anti-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 in 2025 continued for a fourth day, with authorities reporting that nearly 38 million children have been vaccinated.
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 the age of five received polio drops in the first three days of the campaign, which began on December 15 and will continue until December 21.
Punjab recorded the highest vaccination coverage, with around 20.8 million children vaccinated, followed by Sindh with over 7.4 million. In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, over 6.1 million children received the vaccine, while Balochistan recorded over 2.1 million vaccinations.
Islamabad authorities said more than 417,000 children had been vaccinated. In Gilgit-Baltistan, over 256,000 children received the vaccine, while in Azad Jammu and Kashmir, over 689,000 vaccinations were recorded.
Health authorities said more than 400,000 polio workers are participating in the campaign and carrying out door-to-door vaccinations.
The national WCC urged parents and communities to cooperate with vaccination teams, stressing that polio is incurable and can cause permanent paralysis. Authorities have called on parents to ensure that all children under five are vaccinated.
Learn more: Why 40,000 families in Karachi refused the polio vaccine
Low routine immunization coverage, vaccine hesitancy and population movements continue to leave spaces where the virus survives, and health officials have repeatedly warned that the success of the polio eradication program depends heavily on community participation and public trust, particularly in high-risk areas.
