Over 455,000 children vaccinated on first day of anti-polio drive in Lahore

A review meeting on the ongoing anti-polio campaign was held in Lahore under the “Polio-Free Punjab” vision of the Chief Minister Punjab, during which the first-day performance and field operations were thoroughly assessed

LAHORE, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 19th May, 2026) A review meeting on the ongoing anti-polio campaign was held in Lahore under the “Polio-Free Punjab” vision of the Chief Minister Punjab, during which the first-day performance and field operations were thoroughly assessed.

The meeting was chaired by Deputy Commissioner Muhammad Ali Ijaz and attended by Chief Executive Officer Health Dr Asif Arbab Khan Niazi, Assistant Commissioners, District Health Officers (DDHOs), and representatives of the World Health Organization (WHO), along with other relevant officers and field supervisors.

During the briefing, CEO Health Dr Asif Arbab Khan Niazi provided a detailed update on the ongoing campaign, informing the participants that all set targets for the first day had been successfully achieved through coordinated field operations across the district.

The meeting was informed that more than 455,000 children under the age of five were administered polio drops on the first day of the campaign in Lahore, reflecting strong field performance and effective coordination among health teams.

The meeting was further briefed that coverage of approximately 299,000 households had been completed, while all 84 reported refusal cases were successfully addressed and covered by field teams. It was also highlighted that no medically-based refusal cases were reported during the campaign.

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WHO monitors appreciated the performance of field staff and termed the field operations as effective and well-organized. They acknowledged the active participation of supervisors and field teams, who remained fully engaged across all assigned areas.

The Deputy Commissioner directed all departments concerned to ensure that every child under the age of five was reached without exception, stressing that all available resources must be utilized to achieve 100 percent success of the campaign. He further instructed that there should be no compromise on the quality of reporting and data accuracy, adding that real-time ground reporting was essential for effective monitoring and planning.

On law and order coordination, he directed field teams to maintain direct communication with relevant authorities to resolve any operational issues promptly. He also emphasized ensuring full vaccination compliance in educational institutions.

The DC urged citizens to cooperate with polio teams, describing it as a national responsibility, and reiterated that making Lahore polio-free was a collective duty of both administration and the public. He added that the campaign would continue with full momentum to ensure complete eradication of the poliovirus from the district.