ISLAMABAD, 2 February 2022:  The first Sub-National Immunization Days (SNIDs) Polio campaign of 2022 reached more than 22.4 million children under the age of five. The campaign was launched on 24 January, covering 70 districts and on 17 January in six high-risk districts of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province, respectively.

More than 150,000 trained and highly dedicated polio workers were engaged in the vaccination drive to inoculate the targeted children at their doorsteps.

Dr. Shahzad Baig, Coordinator of the National Emergency Operations Centre, Polio Eradication Initiative (PEI), expressed his satisfaction over the successful conclusion of the immunization campaign.

“Pakistan has made enormous progress over the past year.  Although we have only seen one case, which is a great result, we still need to further intensify our efforts for stopping the circulation of the virus, which we continue to find in the environment,” Dr Baig said while acknowledging the federal and provincial government leadership, frontline workers, parents, and caregivers, for playing an instrumental role in vaccinating eligible children during the campaign.

The next nationwide Polio campaign is planned to launch on 28 February across the country, while KP will start campaigns in the selected districts on 21 February. The repeated polio vaccination campaigns are imperative for building immunity among children and preventing possible death or lifelong paralysis. The ongoing campaigns are also critically important if Pakistan is to rid itself of the virus and join the rest of the world in being polio-free.

===============

Note for the Editor:

Polio is a highly infectious disease caused by poliovirus mainly affecting children under the age of five years. It invades the nervous system and can cause paralysis or even death. While there is no cure for polio, vaccination is the most effective way to protect children from this crippling disease. Each time a child under the age of five is vaccinated, their protection against the virus is increased. Repeated immunisations have protected millions of children from polio, allowing almost all countries in the world to become polio-free.

Pakistan is one of the two polio-endemic countries in the world along with its neighbour Afghanistan.

For more information, visit our website - https://www.endpolio.com.pk

For further information, please contact:

Mr. Zulfiqar Babakhel, Media Manager, NEOC, 0345-9165937 Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.