ISLAMABAD: Health authorities are all set to commence a nationwide polio vaccination drive from October 25 (today), aiming to immunise over 4.5 million children across the country.

According to Health Ministry official, the campaign will be conducted in three phases, starting from Sindh province.

The first phase will begin on October 25 in Sindh, followed by the second phase on October 28 in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. The third phase will commence on November 11 in Punjab, Balochistan, and Islamabad.

The drive aims to vaccinate over 4.5 million children, including 2.3 million in Punjab, 1.6 million in Sindh, 730,000 in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, and 265,000 in Balochistan. Additionally, 461,125 children will be vaccinated in Islamabad, 740,000 in Azad Kashmir, and 281,232 in Gilgit-Baltistan.

This year, Pakistan has reported a total of 40 poliovirus cases as a fresh case was confirmed in Kohat district of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa to be affected with the deadly virus. A two-and-a-half-year-old child belonged to Dara Adamkhel has been affected with Type-I of the poliovirus. This is Kohat’s second instance of polio this year; earlier this month, another district child was found to have contracted the virus.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024