The Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the National Institute of Health has confirmed the detection of the 64th wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) case of 2024 from the country.
On Wednesday, December 18, the lab confirmed the case from Jacobabad. This is the fourth polio case of the year from Jacobabad.
Pakistan is responding to the resurgence of WPV1 this year with 64 cases reported so far. Of these, 26 are from Balochistan, 18 from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 18 from Sindh, and one each from Punjab and Islamabad.
Polio is a paralyzing disease that has no cure. Multiple doses of the oral polio vaccine and completion of the routine vaccination schedule for all children under the age of five is essential to provide children high immunity against this terrible disease.
The Pakistan Polio Program conducts multiple mass vaccination drives in a year, bringing the vaccine to children at their doorsteps, while the Expanded Programme on Immunization provides vaccinations against 12 childhood disease free of charge at health facilities. It is crucial for parents to ensure vaccination for all their children under the age of five to keep them protected.
