Zimbabwe Starts Emergency Polio Vaccination After Regional Outbreak
- Chipo Basira
- 20 Apr, 2026
Zimbabwe Starts Emergency Polio Vaccination After Regional Outbreak
Zimbabwe has started an emergency polio vaccination campaign for all children under five after a regional outbreak of vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 was confirmed in Malawi.
The Ministry of Health and Child Care began the first round of the supplementary immunisation drive on Monday, 20 April 2026.
It will run until Thursday, 23 April 2026.
A second round is planned for early June.
All children under five, including newborns, will receive the nOPV2 vaccine regardless of their past vaccination record, health officials said.
Vaccinations are available at all public clinics and hospitals.
Health teams are also carrying out door-to-door visits and setting up outreach points at agreed places such as churches and markets. Parents are asked to bring child health cards or vaccination cards when children get vaccinated.
The Harare City Health Department is taking part in the campaign.
The capital has been classified as a high-risk cross-border area.
The urgent response follows notification of a confirmed outbreak of circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 in Malawi. Zimbabwe, Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia, and Botswana are running similar campaigns at the same time to stop the spread.
Health officials said the virus can cause serious illness and irreversible paralysis in children.
They warned that the risk of spread is high because of frequent travel and connections between Zimbabwe, Malawi, Zambia, Mozambique, and Botswana.
Authorities urged parents and caregivers to make sure all children under five are vaccinated during the campaign dates and to help spread the message in their communities so every child is protected.
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