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Nearly One Million Children Missed in Pakistan’s First Polio Drive of 2026
Despite vaccinating over 44 million children, nearly one million were missed during Pakistan’s first nationwide polio campaign of 2026, with Karachi accounting for 58% of refusals.
ND
by News Desk
2026-02-09
Nearly One Million Children Missed in Pakistan’s First Polio Drive of 2026

Nearly one million children were missed and around 53,000 refusals were recorded during Pakistan’s first nationwide polio vaccination campaign of 2026, highlighting persistent challenges in the country’s fight to eradicate the virus.

According to official data, the campaign — which concluded on February 5 in most parts of the country and February 8 in Sindh — succeeded in administering polio drops to more than 44.3 million children. While overall household coverage stood at 98 per cent, the remaining two per cent translated into a significant number of missed children due to Pakistan’s large population.

In total, 0.95 million children were reported as missed during the campaign. Of these, approximately 670,000 were not vaccinated because they were not available at home at the time of the visit. However, programme officials noted that around 2.5 million guest children were vaccinated during the drive, likely covering a substantial proportion of those initially marked as unavailable.

An additional 233,000 children were classified as “leftovers” due to security challenges, community boycotts, and weather-related disruptions. Of these, 184,000 were from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, including 113,000 from the province’s southern districts. In Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan, nearly 50,000 children remained unreached due to snow-bound areas and the non-conduct of campaigns.

In Balochistan, polio vaccination campaigns were postponed in Mastung, Gwadar, Chagai and Awaran because of security concerns. Overall, refusals accounted for 0.14 per cent of the total targeted population, with Karachi reporting 31,000 refusals — the highest share at 58 per cent nationwide.

The National Emergency Operation Center (EOC) expressed appreciation for the efforts of stakeholders involved in the campaign. “The EOC extends its sincere appreciation to all relevant stakeholders for their cooperation, commitment, and active participation in ensuring the successful implementation of the campaign,” the centre said in a statement.

Provincial data showed that more than 22.9 million children were vaccinated in Punjab, over 10.5 million in Sindh, more than 7.13 million in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and over 2.36 million in Balochistan. In Islamabad, more than 455,000 children received the drops, while approximately 261,000 were vaccinated in Gilgit-Baltistan and over 673,000 in Azad Jammu and Kashmir.

The EOC further noted that the first nationwide polio campaign of 2026 was conducted simultaneously in Pakistan and Afghanistan, reflecting enhanced cross-border coordination aimed at interrupting poliovirus transmission in both countries.

Reaffirming the government’s commitment, the statement said Pakistan would continue pursuing a polio-free future through sustained immunisation, community engagement and regional cooperation.

Pakistan Polio Programme Head Anwarul Haq said a positive trend had emerged in recent years, with 31 polio cases reported in 2025 compared to 74 in 2024. He added that poliovirus circulation was currently negative in Punjab, Peshawar and Balochistan, stressing the need for greater focus on Sindh and southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister’s Focal Person on Polio Ayesha Raza Farooq said a post-campaign independent assessment was under way. She added that results would be compiled within a week and shared with all stakeholders.
Tagged:

PolioEradication

EndPolio

PakistanHealth

PolioCampaign2026
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