Polio campaign faces challenge as Basant brings influx of children to Lahore

Pakistan launches first polio vaccination drive of 2026

Pakistan’s first polio vaccination campaign of the current year was launched on Monday across the country. The nationwide drive is being held from February 2 to February 5 in most cities, while Sindh is conducting a week-long campaign until February 8. Strict security measures have been taken in various districts, keeping in view past attacks on polio teams. First Lady Aseefa Bhutto-Zardari, in a post on X, said: “The first nationwide polio vacc…

First nationwide vaccination drive of 2026 kicks off against poliovirus

Over 10m children to be inoculated against poliovirus in Sindh.Five-day vaccination drive to target 6.5 million children in KP.11,000 teams to vaccinate 2.6 million children in Balochistan.KARACHI/LAHORE/QUETTA: A nationwide vaccination...

Polio campaign faces challenge as Basant brings influx of children to Lahore

As Lahore prepares to host large-scale Basant festivities from February 6 to 8, the arrival of thousands of children from across the country has added a new layer of complexity to Pakistan’s first National Polio Immunisation Campaign of 2026, beginning in February. Punjab is launching its first National Polio Immunisation Campaign of the year, targeting 17.8 million children under the age of five. Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) Coordinator Ad…

Minister urges community cooperation to eradicate polio Launches polio eradication drive

Lahore, February 2, 2026: Punjab on Monday launched its province-wide polio immunization campaign, reaffirming the government’s strong commitment to ending poliovirus transmission and protecting every child from lifelong disability. Speaking at the inauguration, Health and Population Minister Khawaja Imran Nazir stated that polio eradication remains a top priority of the provincial government and that all available resources are being mobilized …

First Lady Aseefa urges parents to ensure children’s participation in 2026 polio drive

First Lady Aseefa Bhutto Zardari on Monday emphasized the importance of the first nationwide polio vaccination campaign of 2026, urging parents to ensure that all children under the age of five receive the vaccine every time it is offered. In a post on social media platform X, she said that health workers were going door to door across the country as part of the campaign, calling it a vital step towards protecting children and eliminating polio …

Pakistan launches first nationwide polio vaccination drive of 2026

Pakistan on Monday launched its first nationwide polio vaccination campaign of 2026, aiming to vaccinate more than 45 million children from February 2 to February 8, the National Emergency Operations Centre said.