Pakistan’s Nationwide Polio Vaccination Drive
Pakistan is preparing to launch a major polio vaccination campaign aimed at immunizing over 4.5 million children across the country. The drive will begin on October 25 and will be conducted in three phases.
Phases of the Campaign
The first phase will start in the Sindh province on October 25. The second phase will commence on October 28 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The third phase will begin on November 11 in Punjab, Balochistan, and Islamabad.
Vaccination Targets
| Region | Children to be Vaccinated |
|---|---|
| Punjab | 2.3 million |
| Sindh | 1.6 million |
| Khyber Pakhtunkhwa | 730,000 |
| Balochistan | 265,000 |
| Islamabad | 461,125 |
| Azad Kashmir | 740,000 |
| Gilgit-Baltistan | 281,232 |
In addition to polio vaccines, Vitamin A supplements will be provided to children aged 6 to 59 months.
Frontline Workers
The campaign will involve 455,504 frontline workers to ensure the success of the vaccination drive.
Recent Polio Cases
Recently, two new polio cases were reported in the Sindh province, bringing the total number of cases in Pakistan to 39 this year. The National Reference Lab of the National Institutes of Health confirmed these cases. Additionally, three new cases were reported in Balochistan, increasing the province’s total to 20 cases this year.
Doubts Revealed
Polio -: Polio is a disease caused by a virus that can make people very sick, sometimes causing paralysis. It mostly affects children and can be prevented with a vaccine.
Vaccination Drive -: A vaccination drive is a big effort by health workers to give vaccines to many people, especially children, to protect them from diseases like polio.
Sindh -: Sindh is one of the provinces in Pakistan, similar to how Maharashtra is a state in India. It is where the vaccination campaign will start.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa -: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is another province in Pakistan, like Karnataka in India. It is the second place where the vaccination campaign will take place.
Punjab -: Punjab is a province in Pakistan, not to be confused with the Indian state of Punjab. It is one of the places where the vaccination campaign will conclude.
Balochistan -: Balochistan is the largest province in Pakistan by area, similar to Rajasthan in India. It is part of the final phase of the vaccination campaign.
Islamabad -: Islamabad is the capital city of Pakistan, like New Delhi is the capital of India. It is included in the last phase of the vaccination drive.
Vitamin A supplements -: Vitamin A supplements are pills or drops given to children to help them stay healthy and improve their eyesight. They are given along with the polio vaccine.
Frontline workers -: Frontline workers are people like doctors, nurses, and health volunteers who work directly with the public to give vaccines and help keep everyone healthy.
