ISLAMABAD: The first nationwide polio vaccination campaign of the year 2024 continued in the country to protect children from paralytic polio. During the ongoing nationwide campaign, over 44.3 million children under the age of five will be given oral polio drops during the five-daylong campaign, which will continue until January 12. Children in Lakki Marwat and South Waziristan Upper and Lower will be vaccinated from January 15–19, while the campaign will be held in Tank from January 15–21 and in Dera Ismail Khan from January 22–28.
A workforce of over 400,000 vaccinators is dedicated to delivering the vaccine directly to the doorsteps of children. The vaccination targets for different regions include 22.6 million children in Punjab, 10.3 million in Sindh, 7.5 million in KP, 2.6 million in Balochistan, 0.72 million in AJK, 0.28 million in GB, and 0.42 million in Islamabad.
Dr. Shahzad Baig, Coordinator of the National Emergency Operations Center for Polio Eradication, emphasized the importance of parents cooperating with vaccinators to ensure their children receive this vital vaccine.
He further highlighted the severity of polio, stating that it has no cure and can have devastating effects on both individual children and their families. Dr. Baig urged parents and caregivers nationwide to seize every opportunity to vaccinate their children against polio, emphasizing that the vaccine provides protection and the chance for children to realize their full potential.
