The Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the National Institute of Health has confirmed the detection of three wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) cases in Pakistan, bringing the number of total cases in the country this year to 59.
On Monday, December 2, the lab confirmed one polio case each from DI Khan, Karachi Keamari and Kashmore.
The genetic sequencing of the samples collected from the children show that they are genetically linked to the same WPV1 virus genetic cluster which has been prevalent in the country all year.
DI Khan, one of the seven polio endemic districts of southern KP, has now reported eight polio cases, Karachi Keamari has three cases, while Kashmore has the first polio case this year.
Pakistan is responding to an intense resurgence of WPV1 this year with 59 cases reported so far. Of these, 26 are from Balochistan, 16 from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 15 from Sindh, and one each from Punjab and Islamabad.
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 diseases free of charge at health facilities. The next mass vaccination is planned for mid-December to reach more than 44 million children with the vaccine. Considering the intense polio outbreak, it is crucial for parents to ensure vaccination for all their children under the age of five to keep them protected.