KARACHI: The Sindh Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) for Polio Eradication launched on Monday a special sub-national immunisation campaign across 20 districts of the province, as Karachi saw the resumption of the polio booster dose drive following a scheduled one-day break.

Under the sub-national polio campaign, more than 5.8 million children under the age of five will be administered polio drops across 1,125 union committees (UCs) in Badin, Ghotki, Dadu, Hyderabad, Jacobabad, Jamshoro, Kamber-Shahdadkot, Kashmore, Khairpur, Larkana, Mirpurkhas, Sanghar, Shaheed Benazirabad, Shikarpur, Sujawal, Sukkur, Tharparkar, Thatta, Tando Muhammad Khan and Umerkot.

More than 17,000 frontline workers are participating in the campaign, supported by over 15,000 security personnel. The drive will be fully implemented in 15 districts, while selected high-risk areas are being covered in Dadu, Shaheed Benazirabad, Sanghar, Tharparkar and Umerkot.

In Hyderabad, the campaign will continue for seven days, while in the remaining districts it will conclude within five days.

According to the EOC, the two-week booster dose campaign launched in Karachi on May 12 continues across 89 UCs, where over 1.1m children have already been vaccinated against a target of 1.8m.

“Teams are administering booster doses at schools, seminaries, hospitals, community sites and remote localities to ensure that every eligible child receives protection against poliovirus. Special focus is being given to street children and underserved populations through targeted outreach initiatives,” an EOC spokesperson said.

Karachi’s dense population, high mobility and presence of high-risk areas increased the risk of poliovirus transmission, underscoring the importance of strengthening children’s immunity through additional protective measures, he added.

According to an EOC statement, the booster dose is recommended by the World Health Organisation and has already been successfully administered.

“A highly infectious disease, mainly affecting children under five years of age, polio can cause paralysis and lifelong disability. Vaccination remains the most effective protection against the disease. Pakistan and Afghanistan remain the only two polio-endemic countries in the world”, the statement says.

Every vaccinated child brings Pakistan closer to a polio-free future. Parents must reject rumours and misinformation regarding vaccines and rely on authentic medical advice and scientific evidence, it adds.

Published in Dawn, May 19th, 2026