Security Officer Guarding Polio Team Shot Dead in Nowshera; Vaccination Drive Continues
PESHAWAR — A police officer assigned to protect a polio vaccination team was shot dead in Nowshera district, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, on Wednesday. According to police, two unidentified attackers targeted the officer while he was escorting the team. The vaccination workers, however, remained safe.
The incident occurred on the third day of Pakistan’s nationwide anti-polio campaign, which aims to immunise over 45 million children under the age of five. The week-long drive, launched on October 13, covers 159 districts and will continue until October 19 across most regions. In southern KP, it will extend from October 20 to 23.
This marks the second attack in as many days. On Tuesday, a Levies personnel was killed while protecting vaccinators in Swat. Over the past decade, health workers and their security escorts have faced repeated assaults by miscreants spreading misinformation about vaccines.
Despite these challenges, officials have reaffirmed their commitment to continuing the campaign. “We will not let violence undermine the fight against polio,” said a senior health official.
Pakistan remains one of only two countries where polio is still endemic, alongside Afghanistan. Health authorities urge communities to support vaccination teams to ensure every child is protected.
