Friday 4 November 2016

Where to Get Polio Vaccination in Lahore

During the last few decades, Polio has been eradicated from most countries in the world. Pakistan is a different case altogether and after a successful vaccination drive in the 1990s, we failed to keep up the good work and now we get occasional reports of polio cases in different parts of the country. As a result, WHO has asked every traveler moving out of Pakistan to get the polio vaccination. As a health professional, I get asked this question every once in a while and I was initially unable to mention specific places which provide polio vaccination. The top places to get free polio vaccination in Lahore are

1. Health Department 
2. Special Counters at all Public Hospitals
3. From Private Hospitals 
4. From a kiosk at the Airport (least reliable)



I decided to visit the Health Department's facility the other day and got a polio vaccination certificate without much hassle. It took me all of ten minutes to get it done. I am posting the exact location of the office so that future travelers can get their certificates with ease. Kindly take your passports along when you visit the office. 


Step 1: Locating the Office on a Map
 
If you go from Canal Road on the Mall Road towards Lower Mall, right after NCA on your right, there is a huge building of Lahore's Town Hall. Between these two places (NCA and Town Hall) is a small road. Take that road. I have attached a Google Maps Screenshot of that place. 




















Step 2  
There is a small Ally (Gali in Urdu) on your right, opposite the office of Ombudsman. Here's how it looks like

 

Step 3  
 Keep moving forward once you are in the alleyway, You'll see a small gate at the end. Here's how it looks like

 

Step 4
Enter the Gate and Ta-da! you've reached your destination! Get two drops of the polio vaccine and get your certificate.