Drive launched in Sindh to vaccinate 8.9m children against measles-rubella and polio
KARACHI: The Sindh government on Monday launched the measles-rubella (MR) and oral polio vaccine (OPV) vaccination campaign 2025.
The campaign will continue across the province till Nov 29.
Under this campaign, around 8.2 million children aged between six months to five years will be vaccinated against measles and rubella free of cost.
The campaign will cover 1,190 union councils across Sindh, where vaccination teams will visit homes, schools, and health facilities to ensure maximum coverage.
Simultaneously, 23 high-risk districts for polio will also conduct OPV administration targeting 8.4 million children aged 0 to 59 months.
Health Minister Pechuho calls on parents not to heed misinformation
The drive is being regarded as a vital step to protect children from preventable diseases such as measles, rubella and polio.
According to the Expanded Programme for Immunisation Sindh, the core objective of the campaign is to strengthen children’s immunity and improve overall vaccination coverage across the province.
The Sindh Information Department is also playing an active role in the success of this campaign by running extensive awareness initiatives through print and electronic media, encouraging parents to bring their children for vaccination.
Parents urged to ensure booster doses for their children
The drive was inaugurated by Sindh Health Minister Dr Azra Pechuho at a ceremony held at Ida Rieu School & College for the Blind and Deaf.
Speaking on the occasion, she urged parents not to pay attention to misinformation circulating on social media and to ensure their children receive booster doses on time.
She also appealed to media representatives and media houses to contribute positively towards public awareness.
The health minister administered polio drops and booster doses to children and distributed gifts among them.
The government of Sindh has urged parents to actively participate in the vaccination campaign to protect children from life-threatening yet preventable diseases.
Published in Dawn, November 18th, 2025
