- Provides better protection than oral variety
- Children up to 15 to be immunised as older kids now identified as key to transmission
- Drive to be extended to other high-risk urban centres, such as Karachi, Hyderabad
- Police rescue polio team detained at private school
ISLAMABAD/LAHORE: Health authorities in Punjab on November 3 launched a massive Extended-Age Fractional IPV Campaign, aiming to vaccinate up to 2 million children with an injectable polio vaccine as part of a critical effort to eradicate the virus from its last reservoir in the region.
The campaign, which will run until Nov 12, targets children aged 4 months to 15 years, across 122 high-risk union councils (UCs) in Lahore.
Officials hope the drive will interrupt the transmission of poliovirus detected in the city’s environmental samples, a key step toward declaring the entire province polio-free.
The fractional inactivated polio vaccine (fIPV) campaign was formally launched by Punjab Minister for Health and Population Khwaja Imran Nazeer and Health & Population Department Secretary Nadia Saqib.
The initiative follows a recommendation from the global Technical Advisory Group (TAG) on Polio, which identified that while children under 5 are mostly protected, the virus is now being spread by older, unvaccinated or under-vaccinated children.
“Our priority is to remain vigilant and continue building population immunity until transmission ends everywhere in Pakistan,” Mr Nazeer said at the launch ceremony. “Children who repeatedly miss vaccination remain our biggest vulnerability. Every single child must be vaccinated in every campaign.”
The campaign is a significant logistical undertaking, with approximately 10,848 frontline workers participating. This force includes 2,700 skilled vaccinators, 2,700 team assistants, 4,800 community mobilisers, 496 area in charges and 122 UC medical officers.
Former health minister Dr Nadeem Jan, while talking to Dawn, called the decision a positive step that should have been taken much earlier.
“IPV enhances individual protection of a child and further transmission of virus through child is stopped,” Mr Jan said. “Moreover it also saves child from chances of vaccine derived paralysis and keeps child safe.” He recommended that at least two or three similar rounds should be held in each targeted block to fully eradicate the virus.
Lahore is considered the only remaining polio reservoir in Punjab. According to a polio programme expert, DNA sampling indicates the virus circulating in Punjab has not travelled from other hotspot areas like southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
“It has been decided to start with Lahore as if Lahore block will be cured the whole Punjab province will be declared polio free,” the expert said, noting that South KP remains a more problematic area.
The oral polio vaccine (OPV) remains in a child’s gut and stops the further spread of the virus, while the injectable polio vaccine (IPV) offers complete protection from infection. TAG suggested using IPV in reservoirs that were less severely affected.
Secretary Saqib emphasised that the fIPV provides an essential boost to immunity. “The fIPV provides an additional layer of protection by boosting immunity, especially where environmental virus detections are recorded,” she said.
She highlighted that Punjab has already conducted four national immunisation campaigns this year.
However, the campaign faces significant challenges. Officials acknowledged there is resistance to injectable vaccines, similar to what was encountered during a recent HPV vaccine drive. There is also a limited supply of equipment, with only 4,000 specialised injectors available, each costing $500.
Following the Lahore campaign, similar drives are planned for other high-risk urban blocks, including Karachi, Hyderabad and Chaman.
Polio workers rescued
Separately, police on Monday rescued a group of female polio workers who were attacked and detained by staff at a private school in Gulberg Town, Lahore.
The health workers had arrived at the school in Union Council 31 to administer polio vaccines to children when the confrontation occurred.
The school’s management refused to allow the vaccinations and the workers were assaulted and locked in a room.
One of the workers sustained a head injury, and others were reportedly beaten when they attempted to help their colleague.
Video clips later emerged showing the women crying and pleading for help during the incident.
The police response was swift following the Punjab CM’s intervention, which included instructions to apprehend the suspects and pursue criminal charges.
Later, Misri Shah police filed a case against the school staff.
Published in Dawn, November 4th, 2025.
