LAHORE: Thousands of polio workers continued door-to-door visits during the second day of the province-wide anti-polio campaign on Tuesday, with the target to immunize every child under the age of five against polio.

According to the Punjab Emergency Operations Centre (EOC), more than 5.2 million children were vaccinated across Punjab on the first day of the campaign. In Lahore, 287,000 children received polio drops; Rawalpindi reported 222,000 children vaccinated; and Multan, 241,000.

The campaign was formally inaugurated on Monday at the Samanabad Hospital, Lahore by EOC Coordinator Adeel Tasawur, alongside representatives from the Health Department, WHO, and UNICEF.

The ceremony marked the official launch of the October National Immunization Days (NIDs) in Punjab. Speaking at the event, Mr Tasawur emphasised the government’s unwavering commitment to eradicate polio, and commended the dedication of the frontline health workers.

“Polio eradication is our foremost priority. The virus attacks only unvaccinated and under-immunized children, while the vaccine provides full protection. Our teams are working tirelessly in every settlement, including mobile and high-risk populations, to ensure no child is missed,” he said.

Mr Tasawur also noted that hospitals, transit points, and major entry and exit routes had been specially staffed with trained vaccinators to reach children on the move. He urged parents to fully cooperate with the vaccination teams and to report any missed children by calling 1166.

As part of his field engagement, The EOC coordinator visited Multan on Tuesday, where he met with the Multan deputy commissioner to review the campaign’s progress and assess field-level performance. He later visited high-risk localities to observe vaccination activities and interact with health workers and community members.

Meanwhile, Unicef Chief of Polio Ms Melissa Corkum visited high-risk and nomadic communities in Lahore to witness the field operations and engaged directly with caregivers, vaccinators, and community mobilisers. She appreciated the commitment of health teams and highlighted Unicef’s continued support to the government of Pakistan in ensuring that every child received protection from polio.

The ongoing National Immunisation Days campaign will continue until Oct 16 across Punjab, while in Lahore, identified as a high-risk district, the campaign will remain in progress until October 19. Over 200,000 polio workers and supervisors are participating in the drive across Punjab.

Published in Dawn, October 15th, 2025