Pakistan’s largest fIPV drive’s 1st phase ends with ‘over 90pc’ coverage

KARACHI: The first phase of Pakistan's largest 10-day fractional Inactivated Polio Vaccine (fIPV) campaign has concluded, with officials reporting that vaccination coverage is expected to exceed 90pc.
The officials say the campaign, which has made steady progress, has seen high motivation among team leaders and volunteers, all working towards the goal of vaccinating every child in the targeted areas. 
"We observed a significant increase in vaccine acceptance by the fifth day of the 10-day fIPV drive, with data showing that most children in the initial 40 Union Councils of Karachi were vaccinated by the end of the first phase," an official claimed.
With the goal of reaching every child in the 85 UCs by the campaign's conclusion, the provincial Emergency Operation Center (EOC) has urged parents to ensure their children receive both the oral and injectable polio vaccines. 
The officials also highlighted that painless jet injectors are being used to administer the fIPV, which provides lifelong immunity to children.
During this campaign, approximately 1,037,000 children aged four months to five years are receiving fractional inactivated polio vaccine (f-IPV) injections alongside Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV) drops.
"We have introduced innovative, painless jet injectors to administer the polio vaccine in high-risk areas of Karachi, where the poliovirus still circulates," said Irshad Sodhar, the provincial EOC Coordinator. 
"A single dose of f-IPV is highly immunogenic, and two doses provide even higher immunity. When oral polio drops are co-administered with f-IPV, they help improve gut immunity and prevent viral transmission in the community," he added.
Mr Sodhar said this is the first large-scale vaccination campaign in Pakistan using needle-free jet injectors to administer fractional doses of the inactivated poliovirus vaccine. This method was previously tested on a smaller scale in Karachi in 2019. 
Experts say that the f-IPV single dose has been used in various polio outbreak settings, typically alongside the oral polio vaccine (OPV). Several countries are now incorporating two doses of fIPV into their routine immunization programs instead of a full dose of IPV.
The campaign has received overwhelming support from the community, which officials attribute to the extra efforts of vaccination teams and volunteers. 
Sindh Chief Secretary Syed Asif Hyder Shah led a review meeting last night, where he thoroughly analyzed the campaign's progress and instructed district administration and elected officials to provide maximum support.
He said all assistant commissioners, Mukhtiarkars, and Tapedars have been ordered to be visibly active in the field to ensure the campaign’s success. 
The Sindh government has directed the health department to implement all necessary measures to enhance the effectiveness of the anti-polio campaign.