Campaign expanded to target children under five, experts urge parents to vaccinate their children in a timely manner
A vial of measles, mumps and rubella vaccine. PHOTO: REUTERS
The Sindh Expanded Immunization Program in collaboration with UNICEF organized a press conference in Karachi to announce the upcoming national measles and rubella prevention campaign. The campaign is scheduled for November 17-29. Health experts have called on parents to ensure vaccination of their children aged six months to five years, stressing that timely vaccination is essential to protect them against life-threatening diseases.
Additional Director of EPI Project Sindh Dr Sohail Raza Sheikh said that under the Sindh Immunization and Epidemic Control Act, 2023, it is mandatory for children below the age of five to be vaccinated. The law, under Article 9, also qualifies refusal or obstruction of the vaccination process as a punishable offense.
Dr Sheikh added that this year’s campaign, which would operate in both mobile and stationary vaccination centers, had been expanded. “Normally, measles vaccines are given to children under two years of age, but we have extended the age limit to five years because data shows that most cases are reported in children aged six months to five years,” he explained.
According to EPI 2025 data, a total of 9,431 suspected measles cases have been reported across the country. Of these, 4,283 cases have been confirmed, with 3,459, or 81 percent, reported in children under five years old.
The data also reveals that 212,455 children under the age of five were vaccinated with Measles-Rubella (MR) doses and Pakistan recorded a 44% decline in MDR cases in 2025. However, 57 measles-related deaths were recorded during the year, illustrating the need for consistent and expanded vaccination efforts.
Dr Khalid Shafi, Chairman of the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunization in Pakistan, said: The Express PK Press ClubAlthough measles and rubella vaccines are available for children aged nine to 15 months, about 30 percent of parents still do not vaccinate their children. As a result, thousands of children contract measles every year, and some lose their lives.
