In a renewed push to eradicate polio, the government of Pakistan has decided to administer inactivated polio vaccine (IPV) injections to children up to 15 years old. The campaign will focus on major urban centers — Karachi, Lahore, and Peshawar — and is set to roll out over the next four months.
The new initiative, endorsed by global anti-polio organizations, aims to bolster immunity against wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1). The IPV injections, which act as a powerful booster, will be administered in phases, with each phase involving a one-day vaccination campaign to maximize immune response among targeted age groups.
Also Read: Polio Eradication Takes Center Stage in Balochistan
The plan follows a recent meeting of the Technical Advisory Group (TAG) — a global body of polio experts advising on strategies for Pakistan and Afghanistan. TAG recommended the IPV campaign in response to growing concerns over waning immunity levels in children, especially in densely populated urban areas. International health organizations will provide the vaccine supply to support the campaign.
However, the new strategy comes at a time when vaccine hesitancy remains a significant obstacle. During Pakistan’s second nationwide anti-polio campaign from April 21 to 27, 2025, over 60,000 polio vaccine refusal cases were recorded. Karachi alone accounted for more than 37,000 of the total 39,073 refusals in Sindh. Balochistan reported over 3,500 refusal cases, while Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had a lower refusal rate of 0.4%. Punjab and Islamabad also recorded instances of parental resistance.
Health authorities continue to express concern over widespread misinformation and resistance to vaccination, which threaten to derail years of progress toward eradicating the disease.
