KP Polio Drive November 2026 Covers 4.8 Million
The KP polio drive November 2026 will vaccinate more than 4.80 million children under five, starting on Monday, November 2, in selected districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The provincial Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) has finalised arrangements for the November round of Sub-National Immunisation Days.
Preparations were reviewed at a high-level meeting at the provincial EOC on Friday, October 30. Additional Secretary Health and EOC Coordinator Sarah Rehman chaired the meeting, which included officials of the Health Department and representatives of Unicef, WHO, NSTOP, the Gates Foundation and other partners.
The drive will run at the same time in Peshawar, Kohat, Bannu and Dera Ismail Khan divisions, as well as in Bajaur, Upper Dir, Lower Dir, Upper Chitral, Lower Chitral, Abbottabad, Torghar, Lower Kohistan, Upper Kohistan and Kolai Palas districts. It will continue for seven days in Peshawar and Khyber districts, and for four days in the remaining selected districts.
How the KP polio drive November 2026 will work
The campaign will deploy 20,772 trained vaccination teams across the target areas. The teams include 18,630 mobile teams, 1,225 fixed teams and 917 transit teams, so children can be reached at home, at fixed centres and at transit points. In addition, 4,734 area heads will supervise and monitor the teams during the drive.
Security is a major part of the plan. Around 30,000 personnel will guard frontline polio workers across the target areas. The scale of that deployment reflects the security planning that surrounds campaigns in several of the selected districts, including Bajaur, Bannu and Dera Ismail Khan.
Parents are asked to keep children under five at home during the visit of mobile teams, or to take them to the nearest fixed centre. Transit teams will cover bus stops, railway stations and other crossing points, so children travelling with families are not missed.
Where this campaign fits
The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa round is the provincial part of a larger national campaign. Pakistan’s November polio drive will vaccinate around 24 million children under five in 97 selected districts from November 2 to 8, as Feature Pakistan reported in November polio drive targets 24 million children. The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa share of about 4.80 million children is roughly a fifth of that national target.
The province has run several focused rounds this year. A booster drive in Peshawar was covered in Peshawar polio booster drive, and sewage sampling in Rawalpindi has kept the virus in the news, as reported in Rawalpindi polio found in sewage.
Why repeated rounds are needed
Polio vaccination in Pakistan uses repeated rounds because a single dose is not enough. Children need several doses to build full immunity, and each round also catches children missed before, including newborns and families who moved between districts.
Health officials track missed children carefully. Mobile teams revisit homes where a child was absent, and area heads check team records each evening. Transit teams cover families on the move, who are among the hardest to reach through home visits alone.
What parents should do
Parents in the selected districts should check whether their area is covered, keep vaccination cards ready where they have them, and report any child under five who was missed to the nearest health centre. The vaccine is free, and teams will visit homes in the mobile-team areas.
Anyone who sees a team working without security cover, or faces refusal or misinformation about the vaccine, can raise it with the district health office. The EOC has asked partner organisations to support community messaging during the round, so local elders, teachers and health workers are expected to play a visible role.
Frequently asked questions
When does the KP polio drive November 2026 start?
It starts on Monday, November 2, 2026, in selected districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. It runs for seven days in Peshawar and Khyber districts, and four days elsewhere.
How many children will be vaccinated?
More than 4.80 million children under five are targeted in the selected districts and divisions of the province.
How many teams and security staff are deployed?
The campaign uses 20,772 vaccination teams, including 18,630 mobile, 1,225 fixed and 917 transit teams, supervised by 4,734 area heads. Around 30,000 security personnel will protect the workers.
Is this part of the national polio campaign?
Yes. The national November drive targets around 24 million children in 97 districts from November 2 to 8. The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa round is the provincial share of that campaign.
