Pakistan Polio Eradication Initiative Vaccinates 44.8 Million Children in Second Nationwide Polio Campaign
Islamabad, 26 April 2026 — Results from the second nationwide polio vaccination campaign of 2026.
Campaign at a Glance
The Pakistan Polio Eradication Initiative (PEI), led by the Government of Pakistan, has successfully concluded its second nationwide vaccination campaign of 2026, reaching more than 44.8 million children across the country. The campaign marked another important step in Pakistan's final push to stop poliovirus transmission, with strong national and provincial coordination among vaccination teams, reaching 99 percent of households, including remote and high-risk areas.
44.8M
Children Vaccinated
99%
Households Reached
400,000+
Frontline Workers Mobilized
0.15%
Refusal Rate
20%
Reduction in Refusals Since Feb 2025
90%
Missed Children Reached in Follow-Up
Provincial Coverage
More than 400,000 frontline workers were mobilized to go door-to-door across the country, including in Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, Islamabad, Gilgit-Baltistan, and Azad Jammu and Kashmir. Coverage remained high across all regions.
23.03M
Punjab
10.4M
Sindh
7.23M
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
2.62M
Balochistan
441,000
Islamabad
292,000
Gilgit-Baltistan
717,000
Azad Jammu and Kashmir
Community acceptance continued to improve, with refusal rates remaining below 0.15%, reflecting growing public trust and sustained engagement with families and local leaders. This represents a 20% reduction in refusals since the February 2025 national polio campaign.
Reaching every last child was further strengthened through targeted post-campaign follow-up and house-to-house outreach, ensuring that 90% of previously missed children were successfully vaccinated and helping to close remaining immunity gaps. The majority of missed children were due to temporary absence, population movement, and limited access in hard-to-reach areas.
The Pakistan PEI remains firmly committed to stopping poliovirus transmission and completing the final mile toward eradication through sustained high-quality campaigns, strengthened surveillance, and continued community engagement. The next subnational polio vaccination campaign is scheduled for the end of May 2026.
Note for the Editor
Polio is a highly infectious disease caused by poliovirus mainly affecting children under the age of five years. It invades the nervous system and can cause paralysis or even death. While there is no cure for polio, vaccination is the most effective way to protect children from this disease. Each time a child under the age of five is vaccinated, their protection against the virus is increased. Repeated immunisations have protected millions of children from polio, allowing almost all countries in the world to become polio-free, besides the two endemic countries of Pakistan and Afghanistan.
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