Polio Vaccination Campaign to Begin in 39 Districts Across Five Provinces

The Afghanistan Polio-Free organization has announced that a polio vaccination campaign will begin today, Monday, August 26, in 39 districts across five provinces of the country. The drive is being launched to contain newly reported cases and prevent the further spread of the polio virus.

According to the organization, the campaign will cover 22 districts in Nangarhar, seven districts in Kunar, six districts in Kabul, two districts in Herat and two districts in Farah. Children in the designated districts are expected to receive vaccinations during the program to prevent infection and transmission of the virus.

The Afghanistan Polio-Free organization said this round of vaccination is being launched in response to recent positive polio cases. The organization did not release further details on the number of children targeted in the campaign.

Earlier, officials from the Taliban-run Department of Public Health in Nangarhar said that five positive polio cases had been recorded in the province since the start of the current calendar year. Polio, or infantile paralysis, is a contagious viral disease that mostly affects children, and vaccination is considered the main way to prevent it.