The Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the National Institute of Health has confirmed the detection of wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) in environmental samples collected from three districts.
Sewage samples collected from Thatta, Umerkot, and Noshero Feroze between December 23 and 24, 2024, have tested positive for WPV1.
Polio is a paralyzing disease that has no cure. Multiple doses of the oral polio vaccine and completion of the routine vaccination schedule for all children under the age of five is essential to provide children high immunity against this terrible disease.
The Pakistan Polio Program conducts multiple mass vaccination drives in a year, bringing the vaccine to children at their doorsteps, while the Expanded Program on Immunization provides vaccinations against 12 childhood disease free of charge at health facilities.
The year’s first Polio vaccination campaign is scheduled to be conducted from February 3 – 9, 2025, across the country. It is crucial for parents to ensure vaccination for all their children under the age of five to keep them protected.