ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News – 24th Dec, 2024) Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the National Institute of Health (NIH) has confirmed the detection of the 65th wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) case of 2024 from the country.
The lab confirmed the case from Killa Abdullah. This is the seventh polio case from Killa Abdullah this year.
Pakistan is responding to the resurgence of WPV1 this year with 65 cases reported so far. Of these, 27 are from Balochistan, 18 from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 18 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 Programme on Immunization provides vaccinations against 12 childhood disease free of charge at health facilities.
It is crucial for parents to ensure vaccination for all their children under the age of five to keep them protected.
The December sub-national Polio vaccination campaign in Balochistan province is scheduled to begin on December 30, during which all 36 districts of the province will be targeted for vaccination.
To keep children safe, it is critical for parents to welcome vaccinators among them and bring their children forward for vaccination.
