Amid Pakistan’s relentless push to wipe out polio, a pair of brutal attacks in Lahore has spotlighted the human cost of vaccine hesitancy. Parents, fiercely opposed to the oral drops, assaulted teams in Harbanspura and Shahdara on Tuesday, dragging police into the fray and complicating eradication goals.
Dawn newspaper, quoting law enforcement, reported that in Harbanspura, locals barred health workers from vaccinating, then unleashed a mob assault. The team sought help via helpline; arriving cops were pelted and provoked, leading to FIRs. Shahdara saw parallel outrage against a female vaccinator, prompting another case.
Pakistan and Afghanistan remain the world’s polio holdouts, with frequent strikes on workers in volatile regions fueling the crisis. The recent nationwide effort reached 44.3 million children but excluded over 500,000, per data. In the 2026 kickoff campaign, 10 lakh kids went unvaccinated, 53,000 refused outright, despite Karachi’s 58% success rate.
Challenges abound: 233,000 children missed doses due to insecurity, refusals, and snowbound isolation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (184,000 cases) and occupied territories (50,000). This shortfall, massive given Pakistan’s population, risks resurgence.
Health authorities must intensify outreach, debunk conspiracies, and bolster defenses. Only through unified resolve can Pakistan shield its children from paralysis and join the polio-free world.