Crackdown on polio workers amid rising fake vaccination as virus cripples another child in Hyderabad Sindh

M. Waqar Bhatti: A nationwide crackdown has been launched against polio workers and teams involved in ‘fake vaccination’ practices across Pakistan, as another child has been paralyzed by the poliovirus in Hyderabad, Sindh, bringing the total number of polio cases to 16 this year.

“Poliovirus has crippled another child in Pakistan – this time a 29-month-old female child in Liaquat Colony, Preetabad UC-5 Hyderabad. The affected child is severely malnourished, and we are investigating her vaccination status,” an official from the Polio Eradication Initiative (PEI) told The News.“In Sindh and Balochistan, cases of poliovirus reported.

This latest case in Hyderabad marks the third case in Sindh this year. Across Pakistan, a total of 16 children have been paralyzed by the virus, with 12 cases reported in Balochistan, one in Punjab, and three in Sindh. Tragically, three of the affected children have died due to the virus.

In response to the surge in polio cases, especially those stemming from Balochistan, the provincial Emergency Operations Center (EOC) has taken decisive action against 74 vaccinators allegedly involved in fake vaccination practices, including fake finger marking and other irregularities.

“We have launched a crackdown against polio workers and teams involved in fake vaccination and other irregularities. Show cause notices have been issued to over 500 workers, and we have terminated 74 workers. Others have been warned not to play with the lives of children anymore,” said Inam-ul-Haq, Provincial EOC Coordinator for Balochistan.

Haq emphasized that some parents and vaccinators have been colluding to deprive children of the Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV) drops. He explained that certain vaccinators were marking the fingers of children without actually administering the vaccine, which poses a serious concern for PEI officials in Balochistan and across the country.

Officials at the National EOC in Islamabad confirmed that similar actions against polio vaccinators involved in fake finger marking are being taken by provincial and district administrations across Pakistan. However, due to the sensitivity of the issue, the exact number of workers dismissed from the polio program is not being disclosed.

Provincial EOC officials in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Sindh have also confirmed that assessments are underway and that lists of vaccinators involved in fake finger marking and data fudging are being prepared. They assured that the polio program would soon be cleansed of such elements.

“There is no room for dishonesty in this national cause. We can’t let such people ruin the lives of our children. Evidence is being collected, and soon all those involved in cheating will be removed,” said an official from the EOC in Peshawar.

Although official data on refusals is not widely shared, experts estimate that around one million people refuse to have their children vaccinated against polio in Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Karachi. Many of these children are falsely recorded as vaccinated, even though they have never received a single drop of the polio vaccine.