Karachi launches special polio booster campaign for two million children

KARACHI: A special anti-polio campaign was launched in Karachi on Monday, with authorities aiming to administer booster doses to two million children aged between four months and 10 years across the city.

Mayor Murtaza Wahab inaugurated the campaign at the Lyari Football Stadium and said the effort was part of a broader push to ensure vaccine access for every child as Pakistan continues its fight against polio.

Speaking to reporters, the mayor said collective action was necessary to make Karachi free of polio. He said the campaign was being intensified across the city, including in Lyari, so that no child is left without protection against the disease.

He urged parents to make sure children up to five years of age receive polio drops and asked them not to be influenced by negative propaganda. Wahab said the vaccines being used in government and private hospitals were of the same standard, adding that the World Health Organisation and medical experts had also declared the vaccine safe.

The mayor said he and Deputy Mayor Salman Murad had themselves received booster doses in order to send a message of confidence to the public. He appealed to citizens to fully cooperate with polio teams during the next 12 to 13 days so that Pakistan can be made permanently polio-free.

Wahab said reaching every child in a city as large as Karachi remained a challenge, but added that the government, municipal institutions and healthcare workers were carrying out this national responsibility with commitment in order to protect future generations from disability.

Teams deployed across the city

During the launch ceremony, health officials told participants that hundreds of mobile and fixed teams had been formed for the special booster-dose campaign.

According to the briefing, these teams will work in different localities, schools, hospitals and community centres across Karachi to administer doses through drops and jet injectors.

The campaign targets children in a broad age bracket, from infants as young as four months to children up to 10 years old, reflecting an expanded booster effort in the city.

The launch in Lyari comes as authorities continue to stress the importance of public cooperation in vaccination drives, particularly in densely populated urban areas where ensuring full coverage can be difficult.

Officials said the campaign infrastructure includes both mobile and fixed teams to improve access in multiple settings and help reach eligible children throughout Karachi.

The mayor reiterated that the city administration and health workers were committed to strengthening the anti-polio drive and ensuring that children receive protective vaccination.