Give Your Child Polio Drops Even When Sick: What Pakistan's Polio Programme Says

Short answer: Yes, give your child the polio drops even if the child is sick. Pakistan's polio programme says the oral polio vaccine is safe for all children, including sick ones. Every child under five should get two drops in every campaign, however many doses the child had before. For help, call 1166 or message the WhatsApp helpline 0346-7776546.

Pakistan has recorded six wild polio cases in 2026. The polio programme's district table shows one in Sindh and five in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Each missed child is a place where the virus can hide, so parents are asked to say yes at the door.

We read the Pakistan Polio Eradication Programme's website on 13 October 2026. This page answers the questions parents ask most, using only what the programme says. It is not medical advice. For a child with a medical condition, ask your own doctor.

Two drops in every campaign, for every child under five

The National Emergency Operations Centre asks caregivers to make sure every child under five gets two drops of oral polio vaccine in every campaign. This applies "irrespective of the number of previous doses received". A child who got drops last month still needs them this month.

The programme explains that the oral vaccine has to be given many times to work fully. The number depends on the child's health and food. It says that sometimes more than ten doses may be needed. Extra drops do not harm a child.

The September campaign shows the scale. The programme says 29.3 million children under five were vaccinated, while 627,776 were missed. You can read the details in our report on the September polio campaign result.

A sick child should still get the drops

The programme's FAQ says the oral vaccine "is perfectly safe and should be administered to all children, including sick children". It adds that sick children have lower immunity, so they need protection most. A cold, a mild fever or diarrhoea is not a reason to say no.

The programme's pages we read do not describe special cases, such as a child on strong medicine or with a long-term illness. If you have that worry, ask your own doctor. Do not turn the vaccinator away without first asking a health worker.

The programme also says the vaccine is one of the safest ever made. It states that it does not cause infertility, and that the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan tested it in 2015 and confirmed it safe and halal.

What to do if your child was missed or refused

If a team missed your home, or if you said no earlier and now want the drops, contact the programme. Use the helpline 1166, named in its release as the Sehat Tahaffuz Helpline, or the polio WhatsApp helpline 0346-7776546. These are the two numbers the programme lists for vaccination questions.

We did not find a step by step process on the programme's pages for reporting a missed child, so we cannot say what the helpline does with a report. The page does not describe finger marking either. Ask the vaccinator at your door.

Follow the next campaign dates

The next round reported so far is a drive planned for 2 to 8 November 2026. The reported plan for Shikarpur alone covers 310,414 children. Dates for other districts may differ, and we have not found the national schedule on the programme's site. See the report on the reported 2 to 8 November polio drive in Shikarpur.

The latest case was in Khyber district. Read the facts in Pakistan's sixth polio case of 2026.

1. Keep every child under five at home or nearby on campaign days.
2. Say yes to the vaccinator at the door, even if the child is unwell.
3. Ask for two drops for each child, even if they had drops last month.
4. Call 1166 or message 0346-7776546 if your child was missed.
5. Complete the routine vaccine schedule at a government clinic.

Common questions

Can a child with fever or diarrhoea get polio drops?

Yes. The programme says the oral vaccine should be given to all children, including sick children, because their immunity is lower.

How many polio drops does my child need?

Every child under five should get two drops in each campaign, whatever the number of past doses. Many doses are needed for full protection.

Is the polio vaccine safe?

The programme calls it one of the safest vaccines ever developed. It says it does not cause infertility and that Pakistan's drug regulator confirmed it safe and halal in 2015.

What if my child was missed in the campaign?

Call the helpline 1166 or message the WhatsApp number 0346-7776546. We do not know the exact process after that, so ask when you call.

How many polio cases has Pakistan had in 2026?

The programme's table shows six wild polio cases in 2026: one in Sujawal, Sindh, and five in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, in North Waziristan, Bannu and Khyber.

Does the child still need routine vaccines?

Yes. The programme urges caregivers to complete the routine immunisation schedule as well as the campaign drops.

How we verified this

What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.

Last checked on 13 October 2026, Pakistan time. We read the Pakistan Polio Eradication Programme's FAQ page, its district-wise cases table and its release on the September campaign. We did not call 1166 or test the WhatsApp helpline. The district table has no update date. The November date comes from a reported local plan, not a national notice.