Over One Million Children in Pakistan Miss Polio Vaccination in Nationwide Campaign

Pakistani media have reported that during the first nationwide polio vaccination campaign of the year, approximately one million children in the country did not receive the vaccine, with at least 53,000 refusals recorded by families.

According to these reports, the campaign began on February 5 in most areas of Pakistan and continued until February 8 in the Sindh province. Karachi accounted for the highest rate of refusals, representing 58% of all recorded cases.

During the program, polio vaccine drops were administered to more than 44.3 million children, but the number of children left unvaccinated remains a worrying concern according to the reports.

Pakistan, along with Afghanistan, is among the few countries where polio, or childhood paralysis, has not yet been eradicated, and vaccination campaigns continue to face significant challenges.