RAWALPINDI: A week-long anti-polio drive will start in Rawalpindi on Monday (today), aiming to vaccinate about 1.57 million children under five throughout the district to protect every child from disability.

National Immunisation Drive against polio in Rawalpindi district will be a seven-day campaign, including two days allocated for catch-up to reach the missed children.

Despite significant progress, the threat of poliovirus importation from regions still affected by the disease remains a major concern.

Over 4,210 polio teams go door to door to administer polio drops to children. 270 supervisors will also perform their duties in 212 union councils, while partner staff from WHO and Unicef will also supervise.

Deputy Commissioner Dr Hassan Waqar said that government departments are working together to make the anti-polio campaign successful. Children deprived of vaccination can be vaccinated at the nearest health centre, he said. He said that a suitable season for the growth of the polio virus has begun. He said that the goal was to increase the immunity of children before the high season.

“Every child is our future, and it is up to all of us to play our role to keep our children safe from polio. Parents should fully cooperate with the teams and definitely vaccinate their children,” he said.

Published in Dawn, May 26th, 2025