Pakistan Reports 8th Polio Case of 2026 as New Vaccination Drive Begins

Pakistan has reported its eighth polio case of 2026, involving a 13-month-old girl from Khyber district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), as authorities prepare to launch a vaccination campaign targeting nearly 24 million children, our correspondent reported on Sunday.

According to the National Emergency Operations Center for Polio Eradication, the latest case is the second reported in Khyber district and the sixth in KP this year.

A subnational polio vaccination campaign will run from November 2 to 8 across 97 districts, including Khyber, to protect children under five against the virus.

Authorities have also detected poliovirus in environmental samples from the Peshawar Block, which includes Khyber and Peshawar districts, indicating that transmission risks persist.

Of Pakistan’s eight reported cases this year, six are from KP, including four in the province’s southern districts, while two have been reported in Sindh.

Pakistan has conducted four major vaccination campaigns this year, reaching more than 45 million children multiple times, the polio eradication programme said.

Polio is a highly contagious disease that can cause permanent paralysis and, in severe cases, death. Although there is no cure, vaccination can prevent the disease.

Pakistan and Afghanistan are the only two countries where poliovirus is still endemic. However, effective and aggressive vaccination campaigns have reduced the number of cases significantly in Pakistan, with cases dropping from 74 in 2024 to just 8 so far in 2026.