The Punjab Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) highlighted the risk of local polio circulation in the region, calling for districts to launch a robust vaccination campaign starting December 16.
EOC Coordinator Adeel Tasawar convened a meeting to review district readiness for the year’s final campaign, aiming to immunize 23.3 million children throughout the province.
He announced that over 200,000 workers are set to be deployed for this national effort, targeting Punjab, which represents half of the polio eradication program’s focus due to its large population.
The province, which recorded its first polio case in over 45 months in Chakwal this August, faces a continuous threat of virus importation from affected areas.
Currently, Punjab has 16 districts classified as infected, including major cities and surrounding areas. Four districts—Rajanpur, Muzaffargarh, Sheikhupura, and Sialkot—are marked as priority areas needing heightened surveillance and vaccination efforts.
He urged for better verification of vaccination coverage, especially for children who missed doses and announced that district health officials at the tehsil level would validate data to ensure comprehensive coverage.
Moreover, Tasawar highlighted the need to focus on mobile and migrant populations at higher risk, which could facilitate the virus’s spread to new areas.
Tasawar also emphasized revitalizing transit points, urging local administrations to concentrate on these areas and encouraging parents to have their children vaccinated at these locations.
In conclusion, the EOC head reaffirmed the government’s dedication to curbing the local and imported polio virus spread.
