Kabul — A new round of polio vaccination campaign is set to begin Monday in various parts of the country, the organization Polio Free Afghanistan announced on Saturday. However, no further details were provided about the number of children expected to receive the vaccine.
Afghanistan remains one of the few countries where wild poliovirus (WPV1) continues to pose a serious threat. In January, the World Health Organization reported 25 cases of the virus in Afghanistan, according to its Eastern Mediterranean Region Polio Bulletin.
Neighboring Pakistan, another polio-endemic country, has seen a surge in cases, with three new infections confirmed last week. This brings Pakistan’s total to more than 72 cases in the past year, according to WHO data.
Concerns over vaccination access have grown in Afghanistan since the Taliban suspended house-to-house polio campaigns in September, leaving many children unvaccinated. In December, residents voiced fears of a resurgence of the crippling disease, citing the challenges posed by the suspension of door-to-door immunization efforts.
A three-day vaccination campaign concluded last week in Kabul and 10 other provinces, but some parents in Kabul said their children did not receive the vaccine.
