ISLAMABAD, Dec 14, 2025: First Lady Aseefa Bhutto Zardari has called on parents, caregivers, public representatives and community leaders to actively support the Nationwide Polio Vaccination Campaign, which will begin on Monday (Dec 15).
She said the success of the campaign depends on collective responsibility, urging families to ensure that every child under five years of age receives the necessary polio drops.
The drive, which will run until December 21, aims to vaccinate 45.4 million children across the country. This includes 23.3 million children in Punjab, 10.6 million in Sindh, 7.3 million in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and 2.66 million in Balochistan. The remaining children will receive the vaccine in Azad Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan and the Islamabad Capital Territory.
Organizers have coordinated the campaign with Afghanistan’s December polio vaccination drive to curb cross-border transmission of the virus.
Aseefa pointed out the increased risks associated with the winter season, noting that the poliovirus spreads more aggressively during this period. She emphasized the importance of ensuring that no child missed the vaccine.
The campaign will follow a three-day house-to-house vaccination strategy with one catch-up day. In high-risk areas, the drive will extend to five days with two additional catch-up days. Community-Based Vaccination and Special Mobile Team strategies will support these efforts. A total of 408,484 frontline workers, including Area In-charges, Union Council Medical Officers, and mobile, fixed, and transit teams, will deploy across the country to ensure the vaccine reaches every child.
Aseefa also called on elected representatives, local government officials, religious leaders, and community elders to assist the polio teams, help facilitate access to communities and fight misinformation and vaccine hesitancy.–APP
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