Polio vaccination drive kicks off in 20 districts for 5.8m children in Sindh

KARACHI: Sindh’s Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) for Polio Eradication on Monday launched a special sub-national vaccination campaign in 20 districts, while Karachi’s booster dose exercise resumed after a planned one-day pause.

Under the campaign, more than 5.8 million children under the age of five are to receive polio drops across 1,125 union committees in Badin, Ghotki, Dadu, Hyderabad, Jacobabad, Jamshoro, Kamber-Shahdadkot, Kashmore, Khairpur, Larkana, Mirpurkhas, Sanghar, Shaheed Benazirabad, Shikarpur, Sujawal, Sukkur, Tharparkar, Thatta, Tando Muhammad Khan and Umerkot.

The EOC said over 17,000 frontline workers are taking part in the drive, with support from more than 15,000 security personnel. The campaign is being carried out in full in 15 districts, while only selected high-risk areas are being covered in Dadu, Shaheed Benazirabad, Sanghar, Tharparkar and Umerkot.

According to the EOC, the campaign in Hyderabad will continue for seven days, whereas the exercise in the remaining districts will wrap up within five days.

Karachi booster campaign

The EOC said the two-week booster dose campaign that began in Karachi on May 12 is continuing in 89 union committees. So far, more than 1.1 million children have been vaccinated there against a target of 1.8 million.

An EOC spokesperson said vaccination teams were reaching children through a range of locations and outreach efforts.

"Teams are administering booster doses at schools, seminaries, hospitals, community sites and remote localities to ensure that every eligible child receives protection against poliovirus. Special focus is being given to street children and underserved populations through targeted outreach initiatives," they said.

The spokesperson added that Karachi’s large population, constant movement of people and the presence of high-risk localities had increased the danger of poliovirus transmission, making additional steps to strengthen immunity especially important.

EOC statement on risks and prevention

In a statement, the EOC said the booster dose is recommended by the World Health Organisation and has already been administered successfully. "A highly infectious disease, mainly affecting children under five years of age, polio can cause paralysis and lifelong disability. Vaccination remains the most effective protection against the disease. Pakistan and Afghanistan remain the only two polio-endemic countries in the world."

The statement added that each vaccinated child moves Pakistan closer to eliminating the disease. It also urged parents to reject rumours and misinformation about vaccines and instead rely on authentic medical advice and scientific evidence.

The latest campaign comes as Sindh authorities continue efforts to improve coverage in vulnerable areas and maintain protection for children in districts considered at greater risk of transmission.