The Pakistan Polio Eradication Initiative (PEI), led by the government, has successfully concluded its second nationwide vaccination campaign of 2026, administering polio drops to more than 44.8 million children across the country.
The campaign marked a significant step forward in Pakistan’s final push to halt poliovirus transmission, with coordinated efforts at both national and provincial levels enabling teams to reach 99 percent of households, including those in remote and high-risk areas. According to a statement issued here on Sunday, over 400,000 frontline workers participated in the drive, conducting door-to-door vaccination across Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, Islamabad, Gilgit-Baltistan, and Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
According to official figures, Punjab vaccinated 23.03 million children, Sindh 10.4 million, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 7.23 million, and Balochistan 2.62 million. In Islamabad, 441,000 children received vaccinations, while Gilgit-Baltistan recorded 292,000 and Azad Jammu and Kashmir 717,000.
Officials said community acceptance showed further improvement, with refusal rates remaining below 0.15 percent. This reflects increasing public trust and ongoing engagement with families and community leaders, marking a 20 percent decline in refusals compared to the February 2025 national campaign.
Efforts to ensure no child was left behind were reinforced through post-campaign follow-ups and targeted outreach, enabling vaccinators to reach 90 percent of children who had initially been missed. Most of these cases were attributed to temporary absence, population movement, or limited access in hard-to-reach locations.
The PEI reaffirmed its commitment to eliminating poliovirus transmission, emphasizing continued high-quality campaigns, strengthened surveillance, and sustained community engagement as key strategies in achieving eradication.
The next subnational polio vaccination campaign is scheduled to take place at the end of May 2026.
