The National Emergency Operations Center (NEOC) has announced a nationwide vaccination campaign against measles and rubella, scheduled to take place from November 17 to November 29.
Both measles and rubella are highly contagious viral diseases transmitted through respiratory droplets and can lead to serious complications such as pneumonia and encephalitis. According to the NEOC, Pakistan has recorded over 131,000 measles cases in the past three years, underscoring the urgent need for widespread immunization.
During the campaign, 35.4 million children will receive the measles-rubella (MR) vaccine, while polio drops will also be administered to protect against all three preventable diseases. The NEOC emphasized that children aged 6 months to under 5 years will be provided free vaccines across the country.
“In specific high-risk districts, polio drops will also be given alongside the measles and rubella vaccines to ensure every child is fully protected,” the NEOC said in its statement.
The initiative aims to reach 22.9 million children under five in 89 high-risk districts with oral polio vaccines, and 35 million children nationwide with the MR vaccine.
Overall, this comprehensive effort will safeguard over 36.4 million children across Balochistan, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab, Gilgit-Baltistan, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, and Islamabad, the NEOC confirmed.
