Punjab will launch the second round of National Immunisation Days (NIDs) of 2026 on Monday, April 13, with a target to vaccinate over 23.3 million children under five years of age.
Lahore, which has been marked as a high-risk reservoir district, will run the campaign for seven days. In the rest of the districts across Punjab, the drive will last for four days.
More than 200,000 polio workers and supervisors will take part in this large-scale effort. The teams include 16,605 area in-charges, 3,991 Union Council Management Officers, over 84,884 members of mobile teams, 4,884 fixed teams, and more than 2,664 transit teams. These teams will work to make sure every eligible child is vaccinated.
Over the past six months, Punjab has made notable progress in the fight against polio. Environmental surveillance reports and confirmed WPV1 cases show a clear decline in the spread of the virus in major regions such as Lahore, South Punjab, and Rawalpindi.
So far in 2026, 99 environmental samples have been tested, and only one sample taken from Lahore in February was found positive. That same location tested negative in March. Overall, the positivity rate has dropped to 1%, a major fall from 26% recorded at the end of 2025 and 56% in August 2025.
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The regional data also highlights this improvement. In Lahore, positivity in environmental samples has reduced from 56% in 2025 to 5% in 2026. Rawalpindi has reported no positive samples this year, compared to 33% positivity last year.
Districts in South Punjab, including Bahawalpur, Bahawalnagar, Rahim Yar Khan, Multan, and Dera Ghazi Khan, have also reported zero per cent positivity in 2026. Last year, these districts recorded positivity rates ranging from 17% to 42%.
“All environmental samples from Lahore, South Punjab, and Rawalpindi tested negative in the latest round conducted in March,” said Adeel Tasawur.
The province continues to focus on maintaining strong Supplementary Immunisation Activities (SIAs), improving community outreach, and working closely with religious, political, and community leaders to reach populations that are often missed.
Parents have been encouraged to cooperate with vaccination teams and make sure that every child under five years of age receives polio drops during the campaign.