Polio vaccination campaigns in Pakistan

In mid-September 2026, the Punjab Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) intensified preparations for upcoming Special National Immunization Days (SNID). EOC Coordinator Khalid Parvez noted that while environmental samples in Punjab have tested negative for the virus, officials must address operational gaps in training and reporting to maintain a zero-polio status, particularly in border areas.

A week-long nationwide vaccination campaign launched on September 21, 2026, targeting 31 million children across 115 high-risk districts, including Balochistan, Gilgit-Baltistan, Islamabad, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab, and Sindh. In Karachi, authorities aimed to vaccinate approximately 2.5 million children under the age of five through daily home visits. This drive follows three large-scale nationwide campaigns earlier in the year that reached 45 million children.

By the end of the campaign period on September 27, vaccination workers in Karachi reported facing significant resistance, including verbal abuse and threats. Community mobilizers noted that some residents refused to listen to explanations, while others responded with hostility. Data from the Sindh polio programme highlighted previous coverage gaps, noting that during Karachi’s July campaign, more than 146,000 children were missed, with approximately 33,918 recorded as refusals and 112,300 listed as unavailable due to migration or being away from home.

While Pakistan has reported four cases this year—a decrease from 31 in 2025—health authorities warn that gaps in coverage continue to leave children at risk in the country, which remains one of only two nations where the virus is endemic.