Sindh Mulls Blocking SIMs, ID Cards of Parents Refusing Polio Vaccine

Staff Reporter

Karachi: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has said his government is considering blocking the mobile phone SIMs, national identity cards, and passports of parents who refuse polio vaccination for their children, calling such refusals a threat to public health and national progress.

“I have no other option but to penalise those who shirk their national duty of eradicating polio, a responsibility that starts at home and affects the entire country,” Shah said while presiding over a high-level meeting on polio eradication at CM House on Friday.

The decision follows the detection of two new polio cases in Sindh, raising the province’s total to nine this year. Of the 29 cases reported nationwide, 18 are from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, one each from Punjab and Azad Jammu and Kashmir, and nine from Sindh.

‘Polio Refusal Cell’ to be set up at CM House

To combat rising refusals, the chief minister announced the establishment of a ‘Polio Vaccine Refusal Cell’ at CM House. The Health Department has been directed to provide union council–wise data of families refusing vaccination, enabling coordinated action through administrative and community engagement.

Elected representatives, deputy commissioners, and senior police officials will personally visit homes where parents refuse the vaccine to persuade them — or administer the drops directly where necessary.

Shah also directed Chief Secretary Asif Hyder Shah to prepare a plan for blocking SIMs, suspending ID cards and passports of persistent refusal cases.

Warning to officials over negligence

The chief minister warned district administrations and health officials of disciplinary action over poor performance in vaccination campaigns. “Any official showing negligence will no longer be part of my team,” he said, noting that several officers have already been removed for underperformance.

He added that the upcoming October 13 polio campaign must be conducted in a “war-like approach” across all districts, ensuring that no child is missed.

Missed children and environmental threat

During the September drive, 216,664 children missed polio drops across Sindh — 181,142 were not at home and 35,522 were unvaccinated due to parental refusal.

Environmental surveillance reports show the presence of the poliovirus in Karachi, including Sohrab Goth, Orangi, Korangi Nala, and Hijrat Colony, among others. Most new cases have been reported from Thatta, Badin, Umerkot, Hyderabad, Larkana, and Qambar, largely due to vaccine refusal or inaccessibility.

The CM also directed officials to include nomadic families in upcoming drives, particularly in Hyderabad and Mirpurkhas Divisions, where seasonal migration has left several children unvaccinated.

Public appeal

Shah appealed to parents to cooperate with vaccinators, warning that continued refusals would face strict consequences. “Refusing polio drops harms not only your own children but endangers others. This is unacceptable,” he said.

The meeting was attended by Health Minister Dr Azra Pechuho, Chief Secretary Asif Hyder Shah, Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab, Inspector General of Police Ghulam Nabi Memon, divisional commissioners, health officials, and district officers from across Sindh.