KUWAIT CITY, Jan 25: The government of Pakistan has decided to set up polio vaccination counters at airports to ensure children leaving the country are vaccinated against the polio virus. The step is taken as a pre-emptive measure to reduce the possibility of spread of the polio virus beyond Pakistan’s borders.

Prime Minister’s Polio Monitoring and Coordination Cell has advised all provincial governments and federal administration to set up  permanent polio vaccination counters inside international departure lounges of all airports.

Pakistan has taken major strides in 2012 with a 71 percent reduction in the number of polio with all but 28 districts free of polio virus transmission. Polio virus type 3 has not been found in Pakistan since April 2012.