Nearly 35,000 Parents in Karachi Refuse Polio Vaccination for Children
KARACHI, September 23, 2025 —
Health officials have raised alarm after nearly 35,000 parents in Sindh refused to vaccinate their children against polio during a recent immunisation campaign, with the vast majority of refusals coming from Karachi.
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The Pakistan Polio Eradication Programme, in partnership with the Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI), launched a vaccination drive from September 1 to 7 across 25 districts of Sindh. The campaign aimed to vaccinate 2.1 million children, but thousands remained unvaccinated due to parental refusals.
According to officials, around 34,000 refusals were reported in Karachi alone, with District East topping the list where over 8,000 parents declined the drops.
Rising Polio Cases in Sindh
The development follows the confirmation of Sindh’s seventh polio case of 2025, involving an eight-month-old girl from Hyderabad. The confirmation came from the Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the National Institute of Health (NIH), Islamabad.
Nationwide, 27 polio cases have been reported this year:
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Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP): 18 cases
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Sindh: 7 cases
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Punjab: 1 case
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Gilgit-Baltistan: 1 case
ALSO READ: Pakistan Launches New Campaign to Eliminate Measles and Rubella
Upcoming Nationwide Campaign
In response to the growing threat, a fresh nationwide polio vaccination drive will run from October 13 to 19, 2025. More than 400,000 health workers will participate in the campaign, targeting 45.4 million children under five across 88 districts, including Hyderabad.
Earlier this month, the Sub-National Polio Vaccination Campaign reached 21 million children, but officials stress that consistent parental cooperation is critical to eradicate the disease.
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Why It Matters
Polio is a highly infectious and incurable disease that can cause permanent paralysis. The only proven protection is repeated doses of the Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV) during each campaign, along with routine immunisations for all children under five.
Health authorities have urged parents to play their role in protecting future generations by ensuring their children are vaccinated during every campaign.
