In Peshawar, a provincial capital in Pakistan, parents of 5,740 children have refused to allow workers to immunize their children against polio. While this may sound alarming, their actions are not anything new. In the Pakistani city of Bannu, officials report that 2,316 children did not receive the oral vaccine, and in Lakki Marwat, also in Pakistan, 1,175 children were prevented from receiving the life-saving vaccine. Other cities in the area where parents refused the inoculation of their children include Charsadda, Nowshera, Tank, Karak, DI Khan, Mardan, Mansehra, Kohat, Haripur, and Hangu, bringing the total number of unvaccinated children to more than 12,000. Officials say that they’re currently working with parents to educate them about polio and the benefits of receiving the vaccine. The massive push to vaccinate comes as part of a national immunization drive, which kicked off on March 14.

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