"Challenges in Polio Eradication: Thousands Decline Vaccination in Recent Nationwide Drive"

In a recent national anti-polio campaign, a significant hurdle emerged as over 63,000 parents opted out of vaccinating their children, posing a setback to the ongoing fight against polio eradication in Pakistan.

The refusal rates were notably high in the province of Sindh, where 38,749 parents declined the vaccination. This was followed by 20,392 refusals in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and 4,081 in Balochistan. Moreover, smaller numbers of refusals were reported in Punjab, Islamabad, and Azad Kashmir.

The nationwide campaign, conducted from February 26 to March 15, aimed to reach children across the country. However, the Ministry of Health revealed another concerning development: the detection of the polio virus in environmental samples from eight cities. Among these samples, 12 contained traces of the virus, including one case of wild polio virus and three YBA cluster cases.

These refusal rates, combined with the presence of the polio virus in multiple cities, highlight the immediate need for heightened public awareness and education on the importance of polio vaccination in eliminating the disease from Pakistan.