Punjab finalises arrangements for fIPV campaign in Lahore

Over 1.6 million children to receive injectable polio vaccine from November 3 to 12.

LAHORE: The Punjab Emergency Operations Centre has declared that all the preparations have been completed for the upcoming fractional Inactivated Polio Vaccine (fIPV) campaign that will be carried out from November 3 to 12 in 122 union councils of Lahore.

According to the EOC’s statement on Friday, the campaign aims to vaccinate over 1.6 million children aged between four months and 15 years with the injectable polio vaccine. The drive will involve more than 12,500 frontline workers, including outreach and fixed-site teams, area in-charges, community mobilisers and union council medical officers.

During the review meeting presided over by EOC Coordinator Adeel Tasawur, district officials briefed on the preparedness levels and logistic arrangements. Mr Tasawur directed the district authorities to ensure adequate training of vaccinators with special focus on safe handling and use of injectors during the administration of vaccines.

“A single dose of fIPV acts as a strong booster for previously immunized children, restoring mucosal protection and strengthening community immunity,” Mr Tasawur said. He added that expanding the campaign’s age group to include children up to 15 years was a strategic decision aimed at curbing WPV1 transmission caused by re-infection in partially immune populations.

He said the campaign is in line with both national and global strategies for eradication, emphasizing that vigilance at this stage is key.

“History reminds us that the last mile of eradication is usually the most difficult, and a single lapse can offset years of progress,” he said. “Despite recent challenges faced with flooding, the upcoming winter is an opportunity to stop transmission in the core reservoirs.”

The EOC coordinator further told that the preparations are being personally monitored by Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz and Provincial Minister for Health and Population Imran Nazeer to ensure efficient implementation.

Mr Tasawur stressed that Pakistan’s eradication strategy continuously evolves in response to genetic changes in the virus. “A targeted, single-dose fIPV campaign for children up to 15 years in key WPV1 reservoirs such as Lahore is the most viable approach,” he said.

The Punjab EOC urged parents and caregivers to actively participate by ensuring every eligible child gets the vaccine, while the officials reiterated that polio vaccination remains crucial for protecting children from lifelong paralysis and supporting the country in its goal of ridding itself of the virus once and for all. The pedagogical objectives of science in elementary school include the promotion of common-sense understanding, the formation of basic concepts, and the development of skills that consolidate one’s experience with the environment.