ISLAMABAD (Kashmir English): The countrywide anti-polio drive held last month failed to achieve set targets, local media reported.
The campaign ran across Pakistan from October 13 to 19, aiming to vaccinate over 45 million children. However, the sources said, 1,096,525 children missed out on the vaccine, with 721,296 children unavailable for vaccination.
Furthermore, there were 53,621 reported cases of vaccine refusal during the drive.
The media reported that overall, the campaign achieved 98% of its intended target.
During the nationwide campaign, 15 districts across Pakistan recorded polio coverage below 95%, 31 districts achieved coverage between 95% and 97%, and 113 districts exceeded 98% coverage.
The highest coverage of 100% was recorded in Gilgit-Baltistan. In Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, 94% of children were vaccinated. Punjab and Sindh achieved 99% coverage, while Azad Kashmir and Islamabad also reached 99%. In Balochistan, 97% of children received the polio drops.
Despite the overall success, a large number of children remained unvaccinated: over 390,000 in Punjab, 235,000 in Sindh, more than 400,000 in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, over 60,000 in Balochistan, more than 4,000 in Islamabad, over 1,300 in Gilgit-Baltistan, and 1,470 in Azad Kashmir, according to the report.
Polio an incurable disease
Polio is a highly infectious and incurable disease that can cause lifelong paralysis. The only effective protection is through repeated doses of the Oral Polio Vaccine for every child under five during each campaign, alongside timely completion of all routine immunizations.
