LAHORE: The fifth and final polio National Immunization Days (NIDs) campaign of 2025 will commence across Punjab today on Monday, December 15, aiming to vaccinate over 17 million children under the age of five against poliovirus.
Speaking to Business Recorder ahead of the campaign, Adeel Tasawur, Head of the Punjab Polio Programme and EOC Coordinator, said that more than 200,000 trained polio workers and supervisors will be deployed across the province to ensure no child is missed and every child receives polio drops. “Despite significant progress, poliovirus remains a serious threat. Sustaining momentum through high-quality campaigns is critical to interrupt transmission,” Tasawur stated.
Given its status as a core reservoir district, Lahore will observe an extended seven-day campaign, while immunization activities in all other districts will continue for four days. The campaign workforce includes 16,605 area in-charges, 3,991 union council medical officers, over 84,000 mobile team members, along with fixed and transit vaccination teams.
Punjab has reported only one polio case in 2025, even as virus circulation continues in other provinces. Environmental surveillance indicates a decline in virus positivity, falling from 43 percent in June to 26 percent in November. However, 16 districts remain infected, including Lahore, Rawalpindi, Faisalabad, and several districts in South Punjab.
Tasawur noted that 78.72 percent of positive samples are genetically linked within Punjab, with Lahore emerging as a major source of internal transmission, indicating a shift from imported cases to localized spread. To counter this, Punjab has strengthened transit vaccination points to reach high-risk mobile populations, while communication teams are actively mapping and profiling mobile groups to ensure vaccination coverage during campaigns.
“The Government of Punjab remains fully committed to protecting every child. Our frontline workers are our heroes, and their safety and security remain a top priority,” he added.
Tasawur urged parents and communities to welcome polio teams, emphasizing that multiple doses of polio drops are safe, effective, and essential to build population immunity. “With 2026 set as Pakistan’s target year to interrupt poliovirus transmission, Punjab will continue to work relentlessly with national and international partners to achieve a polio-free future,” he concluded.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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