Karachi polio booster drive backed as new tests detect virus

Experts warn of silent circulation; drive planned in 89 of 246 UCs

IV Report

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KARACHI: Leading medical bodies and child health experts have endorsed a targeted polio booster dose campaign in Karachi, as fresh environmental surveillance has confirmed continued circulation of the virus in the city, the Sindh Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) said on Wednesday.

At a consultation held at the Sindh Institute of Child Health and Neonatology, the Pakistan Pediatric Association (PPA), Pakistan Medical Association (PMA), and senior pediatricians backed the campaign scheduled from May 12 to 25 in 89 union councils. Karachi has a total of 246 union councils, and experts urged that the effort be expanded citywide to ensure broader protection.

Sindh EOC Coordinator Sheheryar Memon said five recent environmental samples collected from Karachi had tested positive for poliovirus — a worrying sign, particularly during what is typically considered a low transmission season. He warned that this silent circulation underscores the need for intensified immunisation efforts.

Health experts at the meeting described the booster dose as a critical intervention to reinforce waning immunity among children and interrupt virus transmission. The campaign will target children up to 10 years of age.

Dr Iqbal Memon called for scaling up coverage beyond the selected union councils, while other specialists noted that booster doses are part of routine immunisation schedules in over 120 countries.

Preparations are in full swing, with a focus on training frontline workers and strengthening operational capacity, officials said. The vaccine, procured from Indonesia, will be administered through jet injectors to ensure a safe and efficient process, said Dr Azeem Khawaja.

Reassuring the public, pediatricians emphasised that the booster dose is free, safe, halal, and essentially pain-free, and urged parents to cooperate with vaccination teams.

Development partners, including UNICEF, the World Health Organization, the Gates Foundation, and N-STOP, also participated in the consultation.

Sheheryar Memon further noted that global polio cases have dropped sharply from 188,000 in 1988 to just six cases in 2026, but cautioned that high-risk areas like Karachi require sustained vigilance.

The meeting concluded with a call for collective action — involving communities, media, educators, and religious leaders — to push Pakistan closer to polio eradication.

Photos courtesy: Sindh EOC