Govt Expands Age Bracket for Polio Vaccination
Health Ministry in Pakistan has announced a major change in its anti-polio strategy, extending vaccination coverage to children up to 15 years of age.
The new initiative begins in November and will first be launched in Karachi, Lahore, and Quetta, identified as high-risk cities by health authorities.
Officials said the change follows technical recommendations after persistent traces of the virus were detected in Karachi and Lahore, despite repeated vaccination campaigns.
The campaign will target four million children in Karachi and 1.5 million in Lahore, making it one of Pakistan’s largest vaccination efforts.
An injection-based drive will also be introduced in Quetta, aiming to strengthen immunity among children living in areas with higher risks of transmission.
Health authorities face growing financial strain after global polio funding was cut by 20 percent, forcing adjustments to campaign timelines and staff deployment.
Pakistan spends nearly $250 million annually on polio eradication, with major contributions from USAID, UNICEF, WHO, the Gates Foundation, and other partners.
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From next year, national vaccination campaigns will run three days instead of five, and the number of district-level staff will also be reduced.
The National Emergency Operation Center confirmed Pakistan has reported 27 cases in 2025, with 18 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and seven in Sindh province.
Punjab and Gilgit-Baltistan have also reported one case each, underscoring the urgency of sustained vaccination efforts to finally eliminate the virus nationwide.
This week, the National Emergency Operations Centre (NEOC) confirmed a new polio case in Hyderabad, raising total number in Pakistan of reported cases in 2025 to 27.
Sindh has recorded seven cases so far this year, underlining persistent difficulties in eliminating the crippling virus despite several targeted eradication campaigns.
Health authorities reiterated that polio is incurable and can cause permanent disability, urging parents to ensure children consistently receive drops during every vaccination campaign.
A nationwide vaccination drive will run from October 13 to 19, with 400,000 workers administering oral polio vaccines to children under five.