Pakistan's Massive Vaccination Drive Targets 57 Million Children Against Measles, Rubella, and Polio

Pakistan has launched a critical two-week nationwide vaccination campaign, commencing Monday, November 17, 2025, to immunize over 57 million children against three highly infectious and debilitating diseases: measles, rubella, and polio. This massive effort is aimed at curbing the rising number of cases across the country, as reported by Pakistan's National Emergency Operations Center.

Critical for overcoming vaccine hesitancy and ensuring high participation rates in local communities.

Key Targets and Scope

The comprehensive drive, scheduled to run through November 29, 2025, is strategically divided to maximize impact:

Measles and Rubella: 34.5 million children will receive shots for these diseases. Measles, in particular, remains a significant threat, being a leading cause of death among young children globally. Pakistan has reported over 131,000 measles cases in the past three years.

Polio: 23.3 million children will be administered oral polio drops.

 The Urgency of the Campaign

The campaign's urgency is underscored by the current disease landscape:

Polio Challenge: Pakistan and neighboring Afghanistan are the only two countries in the world where polio, a potentially fatal and paralyzing virus, has not been eradicated. Since January 2025, Pakistan has recorded 30 new polio cases, highlighting a severe setback in the global fight against the disease.

Measles Threat: The high incidence of measles cases emphasizes the need for routine vaccination to protect children from the potentially deadly complications of the disease. Operational Details and Security Concerns

To ensure the drive's success, the World Health Organization (WHO) has played a vital role in training over 140,000 health workers who will be supporting the vaccination teams across the country.

However, the vaccination drive faces significant operational challenges, particularly concerning security:

Militant Attacks: Campaigns, especially those targeting polio, are frequently plagued by militant attacks. Extremist groups falsely claim that the vaccination efforts are a Western conspiracy designed to sterilize children.

Loss of Life: Since the 1990s, the violence linked to these false claims has led to the tragic killing of over 200 polio workers and the police officers assigned to protect them.