Polio Drive Reported for 2 to 8 November 2026: Shikarpur Plans for 310,414 Children
A district review in Shikarpur, Sindh reports a polio drive on 2 to 8 November 2026 for 310,414 children. The national programme has not posted dates yet.
Short answer: A district polio campaign is reported for 2 to 8 November 2026. In Shikarpur, Sindh, the deputy commissioner has been told to plan for 310,414 children under five. We could not find the dates on the national polio programme's own website, so treat them as reported until the programme publishes a schedule.
The last drive ended only two weeks ago, and the next is already being planned. District teams are counting houses and training workers. For a parent, the useful question is not the date alone. It is what to do if the team does not reach your door.
We checked the Pakistan polio programme's website, poliofreepakistan.gov.pk, on 12 October 2026 and found no notice of a November round. The dates below come from a report of a district review meeting held in Shikarpur, which we could not match to an official page.
Shikarpur is planning for 310,414 children from 2 to 8 November
The report says Deputy Commissioner Dr Sharjeel Noor Channa reviewed preparations for an anti-polio drive running from 2 to 8 November 2026. It gives the target as 310,414 children under five years old. He told officials that no child under five should be missed.
The dates fall from a Monday to a Sunday, which matches the seven-day format of the September round. That is the only link we can draw. We do not know whether the November drive covers the whole country, a set of high-risk districts or only some of Sindh.
| Detail | What is reported |
|---|---|
| Dates | 2 to 8 November 2026 |
| District | Shikarpur, Sindh |
| Target | 310,414 children under five |
| Who reviewed it | The deputy commissioner |
| Other districts | Not stated |
| Programme notice | Not found on 12 October 2026 |
Why the programme has not confirmed it yet
The programme's usual pattern is to announce a campaign a few days before it starts. Last time it announced the September round on 15 September for a start on 21 September. A district meeting four weeks ahead is planning, not the national announcement.
That timeline comes from our earlier report on the September polio campaign. It means dates can still move. Security, weather and supply can all change a round, as they did in September, when two Punjab districts were skipped.
September's round left 627,776 children unvaccinated
The programme said its September campaign reached more than 29.3 million children in 113 districts, and that 627,776 were still missed at the end. Dera Ghazi Khan and Rajanpur did not take part. The programme gave no new date for them.
Those figures are in our report on the September polio campaign result. Pakistan has also confirmed six wild polio cases so far in 2026, and the newest was in Khyber district, as covered in our report on the sixth polio case of 2026. A November round exists to close gaps like these.
What parents can do before the drive
Check that every child under five is at home or reachable in the week of 2 to 8 November, and keep the vaccination card handy. If no team comes, call 1166 or send a WhatsApp message to 0346-7776546. Do not wait for the next round to ask.
- Count the children under five in your home, including babies.
- Find each child's routine vaccination card and keep it with the CNIC copy.
- Tell neighbours, especially families who have just moved in or have a newborn.
- If the team visits when you are out, ask the neighbours whether the mark was made on your door.
- Call 1166 or the WhatsApp number to ask for a revisit.
Polio drops in a campaign do not replace routine vaccines. Our guide on the baby vaccination schedule lists the free doses from birth to 15 months and where to get them.
What we cannot confirm
We cannot confirm that the November drive is national, that it covers any district other than Shikarpur, or that the 2 to 8 November dates are final. We also cannot confirm which vaccine will be used. The programme usually states these in its own announcement.
When the programme publishes the schedule on its website, we will update this page with its dates, districts and target. Until then, read any message that gives different dates with care, especially forwarded WhatsApp texts. Check the programme's website or call 1166.
Common questions
When is the next polio campaign in Pakistan?
A district review in Shikarpur reports 2 to 8 November 2026. The national programme had not posted a notice on its website when we checked on 12 October 2026.
How many children does Shikarpur plan to vaccinate?
The report gives 310,414 children under five years old as the district target.
Will the November drive cover my district?
We do not know. Only Shikarpur has been named. Ask your district health office or call 1166.
What if the polio team misses my child?
Call 1166 or send a WhatsApp message to 0346-7776546 with your address, district and your child's age, and ask for a revisit.
Is it safe to give extra polio drops?
Yes. The programme asks families to give the drops in every campaign, however many doses a child has had.
Do campaign drops replace routine vaccines?
No. Routine vaccines at a government health centre are separate and stay free.
How we verified this
What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.
We checked poliofreepakistan.gov.pk on 12 October 2026 and found no November campaign notice. The dates, the 310,414 target and the deputy commissioner's name come from a report of a district meeting dated 10 October 2026. We have not verified them with the programme or the Sindh health department.
About the author
Public Services and Education Journalist
Fajr Riaz is a journalist and content writer at Pakistan Era, based in Lahore. She covers the questions people meet in everyday life in Pakistan: how a public service works, what a change in the rules means, and where to find a reliable answer.
