Final nationwide polio vaccination campaign of 2025 begins tomorrow

ISLAMABAD: The final polio vaccination campaign of the year will officially kick off across the country tomorrow, with the goal of administering polio drops to over 45 million children, according to the National Emergency Operations Centre (EOC).

The nationwide campaign will run from December 15 through December 21, 2025. It is a crucial initiative to protect children from the life-threatening disease and bring the country closer to eliminating polio altogether.

“More than 400,000 polio workers will be deployed across the country to carry out their responsibilities during the campaign,” said the National EOC in a statement. The workers, including health professionals, volunteers, and local community members, will go door-to-door to ensure that every child is vaccinated.

In Punjab, the most populous province, more than 23 million children will receive the vaccine. Sindh will vaccinate more than 16 million children, while Khyber Pakhtunkhwa will cover over 7.2 million children. Balochistan is set to administer polio drops to more than 2.6 million children, with Islamabad targeting over 460,000 children. Additionally, Gilgit-Baltistan will vaccinate over 228,000 children, and Azad Kashmir will target approximately 7 million children.

The National EOC said that the fight against polio is a collective national responsibility, urging citizens to fully cooperate with vaccination teams to protect the health and future of the nation’s children.

“Protecting children from polio is a shared responsibility for all of us,” the EOC added, highlighting the importance of continued vigilance and support from all sectors of society to ensure that no child is missed during this critical campaign.

The national polio eradication effort has seen substantial progress in recent years, with the incidence of polio cases declining significantly. However, the fight is not over, and this final campaign of the year plays a vital role in maintaining momentum toward a polio-free Pakistan.

The National EOC urges all parents and guardians to ensure their children are vaccinated and to report any missed doses to local health authorities during the campaign period.