ISLAMABAD: The government has launched a week-long nationwide polio immunization campaign on Monday to immunize over 43 million children under five years of age. According to the spokesperson of the Ministry of Health, over 339,521 trained and dedicated polio workers have been engaged in the vaccination drive to vaccinate children at their doorstep. He said that previous drives were limited to some areas but this campaign will be launched in all areas of the country. In a message, Minister for Health Qadir Patel said “Government of Pakistan remains committed to eradicating polio and focusing on well-coordinated efforts at both the federal and provincial level to realize the dream of making Pakistan a polio-free country.” He stressed the important role of parents and caregivers in the success of repeated vaccination campaigns. He said, “It’s every Pakistani’s national duty to ensure that their own children, as well as children around them, are administered the polio vaccine in each campaign.” He said that the wild poliovirus remains in the environment in certain districts, posing a threat to the resurgence in cases. “We are calling all parents and caregivers to cooperate with vaccinators as no child is safe until all children are vaccinated.” He said that the polio vaccine is safe, and it helps to build immunity among children against the poliovirus. The polio vaccination campaigns are imperative for building immunity among children and preventing possible death or lifelong paralysis, he added. He said, “Unvaccinated children are at risk and we need to ensure all eligible children are vaccinated during each campaign to build their immunity against diseases. It is time to be more vigilant to reach the target of polio-free Pakistan.”