Pakistan’s first polio vaccination campaign of the current year was launched on Monday across the country.

The nationwide drive is being held from February 2 to February 5 in most cities, while Sindh is conducting a week-long campaign until February 8. Strict security measures have been taken in various districts, keeping in view past attacks on polio teams.

First Lady Aseefa Bhutto-Zardari, in a post on X, said: “The first nationwide polio vaccination drive of 2026 is underway, with health workers going door to door.”

“This campaign is a vital step towards protecting our children and eliminating polio once and for all,” she stressed.

The first lady encouraged all parents with children aged five years or below to ensure their kids receive the vaccine every time it is offered, pointing out that this was the “only way to eliminate polio for good”.

Speaking at the formal inauguration of the drive in Karachi, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah noted that the campaign aimed to vaccinate 10.5 million children in the province.

CM Murad said 80,000 frontline workers would visit all neighbourhoods and added that they would be supported by more than 21,000 law enforcement personnel, including over 1,000 female police constables.

“It is my request to all parents that they administer polio drops to their children aged below five and save them from this debilitating disease,” the chief minister said.

CM Murad went on to urge parents to visit their nearest basic health unit if a polio team did not come to their house. They could also alert the assistant or deputy commissioner that a team had not visited, he added.

“It is a cause of shame for us that there are only two countries in the world where this disease can be found — Afghanistan and Pakistan,” he said.

However, he added, vaccination was the only way to get rid of it.

The Sindh CM also requested those “who have any kind of influence over others”, such as teachers, elected representatives at the town, municipality, or assembly levels, and politicians.

The chief minister also requested religious scholars to play their role in shoring up public confidence in polio vaccination.

“The World Health Organisation (WHO) has certified that these drops do not cause any disease,” Murad pointed out.

“This disease is so contagious that it can spread from one place to another if not eradicated. That is why the entire world has its eyes on Pakistan and Afghanistan,” he added.

The campaign in Sindh will cover 1,490 union councils across 30 districts during which oral polio vaccine drops will be administered to a total of 10.5 million children, including 8.9m children under the age of five years.

In a meeting last week, the CM was informed that the country reported 74 polio cases in 2024, 31 in 2025, and zero cases so far in 2026. Meanwhile, Sindh recorded 23 cases in 2024 and nine in 2025.

State-run APP, citing a press release issued by the Karachi commissioner’s office, said the polio vaccination campaign in the metropolis aimed to vaccinate over 2.1m children.

The report further said 22,000 polio workers, 2,700 area in-charges and 267 UC medical officers have been deputed for the drive in Karachi. To beef up security, over 7,000 security personnel will also be deployed.

Strict security measures

Polio vaccination drives were also launched in other parts of the country on Monday.

In Islamabad, health teams aim to vaccinate 466,000 children across the federal capital, APP reported.

Stringent security measures were taken in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where terrorists have often targeted polio teams.

In the Abbottabad district, 1,768 police officers and personnel were deployed, according to APP.

In addition to providing security to vaccination teams, police will also conduct search operations and establish effective checkpoints in the city and sensitive areas to maintain law and order, the report added.

The Tank district also saw personnel deployed across all areas to provide foolproof security during the campaign.

Continuous monitoring, field visits, and close coordination with other law enforcement agencies had been ensured to maintain a safe environment throughout the vaccination drive, APP quoted a police spokesperson as saying.

The Bomb Disposal Unit (BDU) also conducted a thorough sweep of sensitive locations.

Last week, when a high-level delegation from the Gates Foundation visited Islamabad, the Pakistan Polio Eradication Programme reiterated its resolve to achieve the Roadmap to Zero Polio 2026.

Meeting the delegation, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had affirmed that the government was implementing a “comprehensive strategy and taking practical actions” to eradicate polio.