Pakistan Polio Campaign Reaches 18.6m Children Despite Refusals

Pakistan’s latest sub-national polio vaccination campaign has reached more than 18.6 million children across high-risk districts, even as thousands of families refused to allow health workers to administer oral drops. The campaign, reviewed by the Pakistan Polio Eradication Initiative, covered 79 vulnerable districts where health officials remain concerned about possible poliovirus transmission.

The drive was carried out from May 18 to May 24 and achieved a reported 98 percent coverage rate. Authorities said the campaign was specifically focused on locations where the virus had been detected in environmental samples, making the effort a targeted response rather than a routine nationwide exercise.

According to campaign data, 22,320 parents declined vaccination for their children, keeping the refusal rate at 0.12 percent. Officials also reported that more than 404,000 children were initially missed during door-to-door visits because they were not available at home, but follow-up teams later reached 88 percent of that group.

Prime Minister’s Focal Person on Polio Eradication Ayesha Raza Farooq praised frontline teams and communities for helping complete the campaign. She said the effort reflected the commitment of health workers and parents, while warning that even a single missed child could continue to pose a risk until the virus is fully eliminated from Pakistan.

The campaign required the deployment of around 163,000 frontline workers, who visited homes across multiple provinces and the federal capital. Punjab accounted for about 6.06 million vaccinated children, followed by 5.74 million in Sindh, 4.39 million in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 1.96 million in Balochistan and around 435,000 in Islamabad.

Pakistan’s polio challenge remains deeply linked to mobility, misinformation, security risks and uneven access to health services. Vaccination teams often work in difficult environments where community trust, local cooperation and timely follow-up can determine whether children are protected or left vulnerable.

The latest campaign comes as Pakistan and Afghanistan remain the only two countries where wild poliovirus is still endemic. Because families and workers frequently move across the shared border, health authorities in both countries have been coordinating more closely to monitor trends and limit cross-border transmission.

For Pakistan, the stakes are both medical and social. Persistent poliovirus circulation threatens children with lifelong paralysis and also damages the country’s international public health standing. Strong campaign coverage can reduce immunity gaps, but refusals and missed children continue to create openings for the virus to survive.

Authorities are now finalising the 2026 National Emergency Action Plan, which is expected to shape the next phase of eradication work. The plan will focus on faster outbreak response, improved monitoring, community engagement and stronger coordination so that future campaigns can reach every eligible child.