ISLAMABAD/LAHORE – In a major step toward eliminating polio, health authorities in Punjab on Monday introduced an injectable polio vaccine for the first time as part of an “Extended-Age Fractional IPV Campaign” aimed at vaccinating up to two million children across Lahore.
The campaign, which runs until November 12, targets children between four months and 15 years in 122 high-risk union councils of the provincial capital. Officials hope the initiative will halt the transmission of poliovirus recently detected in Lahore’s environmental samples — the last major reservoir of the virus in Punjab.
Launched by Punjab Health Minister Khwaja Imran Nazeer and Health Secretary Nadia Saqib, the campaign employs more than 10,000 health workers, including vaccinators, community mobilisers, and medical officers. The fractional inactivated polio vaccine (fIPV) provides stronger immunity than the oral polio vaccine (OPV) and is designed to protect older children who have been identified as new transmitters of the virus.
According to the schedule announced by the ECP, elections for the general seats in the urban union councils of Quetta district will be held on Dec 28.https://t.co/9RlXoRZ33C
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“Our mission is to reach every child, especially those who have missed doses in the past,” Mr Nazeer said. “Ending transmission in Lahore will pave the way for a polio-free Punjab.”
Experts welcomed the shift to injectable doses. Former health minister Dr Nadeem Jan described it as “a vital step that should have come sooner,” noting that IPV prevents both infection and vaccine-derived paralysis.
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The programme, however, faces logistical and social hurdles. Officials acknowledged limited equipment — with only 4,000 specialised injectors available — and some resistance from parents to injectable vaccines. Similar campaigns are expected to expand soon to Karachi, Hyderabad, and Chaman.
In a separate incident, police rescued female polio workers attacked and detained at a private school in Lahore’s Gulberg Town. A case has been registered against the school staff involved.
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