Doctors urge vaccine push as ‘zero-dose’ crisis deepens
PMA calls for structural reforms as PIMA urges parents to complete children’s immunisation IV Report KARACHI: As countries across the globe, including Pakistan, mark World Immunisation Week 2026 (April 24-30) to promote wider vaccine coverage among children, two leading medical bodies have issued both cautionary and motivational messages, calling for stronger government action and greater parental responsibility to improve immunisation uptake. The Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) on Friday warned of a growing “zero-dose” crisis, saying Pakistan remains at a critical juncture with over one million children having received no vaccinations. It noted that around 58 per cent of children are either unimmunised or under-immunised, leaving them vulnerable to preventable diseases. Highlighting regional disparities, the PMA said routine immunisation coverage in Pakistan lags behind neighbours such as China and Iran, where coverage exceeds 95 per cent, and India and Bangladesh, which ...