Officials on Sunday urged parents to have their children administered anti-polio vaccine as the country gears up for a nationwide inoculation drive from Monday (today).

The development comes amid a deepening polio crisis in the country, which has reported 41 polio cases so far this year.

The anti-polio vaccination drive aims to inoculate more than 45 million children across the country from Oct 28 till Nov 3, according to Pakistan polio programme.

“Parents are requested to fully cooperate with polio workers,” Ayesha Raza Farooq, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s focal person for polio eradication, said in a statement.

“Parents must ensure vaccination of their children aged below five years.”