The City of Bulawayo has announced a third round of the oral polio vaccination campaign targeting all children under the age of five, as authorities intensify efforts to stop the spread of the highly infectious disease.
In a public notice issued by Town Clerk Christopher Dube, the city said the synchronised Novel Oral Polio Vaccine type 2 (nOPV2) campaign will run from 7 to 10 July 2026 in partnership with the Ministry of Health and Child Care.
The campaign forms part of a regional vaccination drive being conducted simultaneously with Malawi, Zambia, Mozambique and Botswana to curb the transmission of poliovirus.
Health authorities said polio remains a highly infectious disease that can cause permanent paralysis but is preventable through vaccination.
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Bulawayo’s latest campaign follows two earlier rounds conducted from 20 to 23 April and 2 to 5 June this year.
According to the city, the third round aims to strengthen immunity among children under five and ensure no eligible child is left unvaccinated.
Officials said urban centres have been prioritised because viruses can spread rapidly through densely populated communities and busy transport corridors.
“Bulawayo was selected as it is the second largest city in Zimbabwe with a highly mobile population and busy transport routes,” the notice said.
The vaccine will be administered free of charge at all municipal clinics, Cowdray Park Health Centre, central hospitals, Mater Dei Hospital, selected private surgeries offering vaccination services, crèches, primary schools, marketplaces, churches, bus termini and through house-to-house outreach teams.
City authorities urged parents and guardians to ensure that all eligible children receive the vaccine, saying community participation is critical to protecting children and preventing further transmission of the disease.
The campaign is part of Zimbabwe’s continuing response to regional polio outbreaks, with health authorities relying on repeated vaccination rounds to boost immunity among young children and interrupt the circulation of the virus.
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