Says OPV given multiple times leads to better control against wild polio virus in sewage as well.

“Let the doctors do their jobs. When they say you need the vaccine, there is no room for ambiguity," says Maulana Swati.

Pakistan and Afghanistan are now the only remaining strongholds of the virus in the world.

Pakistan is one of the only two polio-endemic countries in the world.

1166 receives all sorts of calls, from requests of sending a polio team to the caller's area to whether the vaccine is halal.

The campaign, which is aimed at reaching over 3 million children, has received Taliban backing.

Taliban have promised inclusion of female workers in campaign.

Only one polio case has been reported in the country this year.

Speaker lambastes health dept over "casual attitude" towards house’s business.

At least 9,470 mobile, 949 fixed and 552 transit teams will participate in the campaign.

The security of polio teams has been further tightened after the incident.

The campaign will start in rest of the country on Sept 20.

Rumpus in KP Assembly after chair calls sergeant-at-arm to expel minority member.

Balochistan chief minister stresses need to raise awareness among the masses about polio campaign.

Experts suggest limiting immunisation to fixed centres.

After being persuaded by Raima, many unwilling parents have allowed their children to be vaccinated.

During the campaign, more than 1.6 million children will be administered polio drops.

In separate incident, a policeman was wounded in a roadside bomb blast near a police van escorting a polio team in S. Waziristan.

Official terms current gains against disease fragile that can easily be reversed.

Report says “still missed” children have spread alarmingly across the province with majority in Lahore and Rawalpindi.

“The situation has improved considerably due to effective anti-polio campaigns in the province," says official.

The inoculation drive in the province has now been halted, says health official.

Assured organisation of Pakistan Army's continued support.

“With well-coordinated efforts of the federal and provincial govts, Pakistan can become a polio-free country," he says.

Families living in mud houses near Hazro had been refusing to administer anti-polio drops to their children.

The district health officer said the five-day campaign would begin on Monday.

The immunisation campaign will begin from May 31.

“Polio workers are our real heroes who made this critical campaign successful," says Dr Faisal Sultan.

The campaign was earlier postponed due to the protest of government employees.

The polio campaign has been postponed due to the ongoing strike of govt employees.

Police have arrested two suspects.

The vaccination drive has been temporarily suspended in Nangarhar, according to the health ministry.

“Suboptimal quality of campaigns in parts of Lahore, many with migrant Pashtun communities, is largely responsible,” says report.

The latest grant will be utilised for the procurement of 23.66m doses of the vaccine.

Officials pin hopes on district admin to cover children children missed during five-day campaign.

Around 32m children were also given vitamin A supplements during the campaign.

Hundreds of refusal cases covered; role of security forces lauded.

Martyred official was escorting a team of polio health workers, who are unharmed.

Children between six months and 59 months will also receive Vitamin A drops.

A supplementary dose of Vitamin A drops will also be administered to the children during the five-day polio campaign.

Gates acknowledges Pakistan’s efforts to combat the Covid-19 pandemic while stimulating economic growth.

Official says situation will be much better next year due to resumption of vaccination.

ASI Akhir Zaman was ambushed by assailants when he was returning to the police station.

Over 6.4 million children below the age of five years will be vaccinated against poliovirus.

285,000 SOPs-observing health workers will take part in the campaign.

KP has reported 22 wild polio cases this year, compared to 66 during this period last year.

Hundreds of children under the age of five have been left out during the drives in August, September and October, they say.

Despite a rising number of polio cases, around 1,800 union council polio officers have lost their jobs, says one protester.

Deputy Commissioner Muhammad Riaz seeks police protection for each polio team in the district.

WHO official says key factor in success against polio is the hard work of more than 260,000 frontline workers.

Official says 79 cases of polio have been reported so far this year as compared to 147 last year.

This year’s provincial tally rises to 23 with latest cases.

Deputy Commissioner Tahir Farooq claims the child was fully vaccinated and the detection of wild poliovirus in him is astonishing.

Officials say the parents had refused to allow workers to give polio drops to their child during the anti-polio campaign.

Says OPV given multiple times leads to better control against wild polio virus in sewage as well.

Officials say an inquiry will be launched to determine if the child was given polio drops regularly.

More than 20 refusal cases were addressed.

Officials warn residents against creating hurdles in efforts to eradicate polio.

Islamabad mayor says SOPs to limit Covid-19 spread will be observed during the vaccination campaign.

Security officials say the workers were kidnapped by armed men when they were administering polio vaccine drops to children.

“Let the doctors do their jobs. When they say you need the vaccine, there is no room for ambiguity," says Maulana Swati.

As many as 73 polio cases have been reported in the country so far this year as compared to 147 cases in 2019 and 12 in 2018.

Official report says ratio was 38pc last year.

“The vaccine is safe for children and ulema can convey the message to the parents in a better way,” says Bannu commissioner.

So far 72 cases of the crippling disease have been reported in the country this year.

Over 200,000 children in 22 districts remained unimmunised in last campaign.

Health officials say they held a "face-to-face" meeting with their Afghan counterparts after almost a year.

The number of polio cases in Balochistan has risen to 18 this year.

A 34-month-old child was diagnosed with poliovirus in Pishin district.

Dr Faisal rules out a polio-free Pakistan without parents’ continued support.

Officials during the previous months had been claiming that Bahawalpur was a polio-free district.

Even Africa had recently been declared polio-free.

Health teams were provided face masks, hand sanitiser.

The last case in Africa was recorded four years ago in northeast Nigeria.

“Happiness is an understatement, we've been on this marathon for over 30 years," says one doctor.

In several instances, parents were too scared to take their children to hospital to complete vaccination.

1166 receives all sorts of calls, from requests of sending a polio team to the caller's area to whether the vaccine is halal.

Faisalabad police register case against couple on charges of thrashing a polio workers team in Allama Iqbal Colony.

Chief minister appeals to parents and tribal elders to cooperate with the polio teams.

One of his immediate contacts also found infected with virus.

Coordinator says services of religious scholars have also been acquired to persuade parents to get polio drops administered.

Gates praised Pakistan Army for supporting the national polio drive, ensuring proper reach and coverage, says statement.

Mahmood Khan inaugurates vaccination drive in 21 districts.

Premier expresses confidence in Pakistan’s ability to apply lessons from its Covid-19 response to eradicate polio.

According to an official of the National Institute of Health, the latest victim is a 20-month-old boy.

700,000 vaccinated during campaign in July.

The disruption of the campaign had raised fears of a spike in polio cases in Pakistan.

Health minister says coordinated efforts are needed.

The drive will target high-risk areas, while vaccinators have been equipped with protective gear to guard against coronavirus.

Restarting the campaign is aimed at mitigating the situation and targeting the more high-risk areas.

The province has registered 42 cases of cVDPV2 this year.

Initially, the focus will be on those union councils of Quetta district where major sewage network is located.

If a population is fully immunised against polio, it will be protected against both wild and vaccine-derived strains of the virus.

The actors' remarks come as a polio immunisation campaign is set to begin in the country on July 20.

Minister says province has so far reported 63 out of the total 108 cases reported across the country (58pc) this year.