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to circumvent the potential spread of COVID-19, had left 50 million children unimmunized 7 . Although the polio vaccination campaign resumed in July 2020, the number of polio cases (WPV1 and cVDPV2) had reached 219 in Pakistan and 364 in Afghanistan by the end of 2020 8 , which accounted for 47.5% of all global polio cases last year.Nevertheless, the emergence of 9 polio cases (1 WPV1, 8 cVDPV2) in Pakistan and 44 cases (1 WPV1, 43 cVDPV2) in Afghanistan between January and August 2021 8 indicates a sharp decline, with most of the cases being vaccine-derived. With only two cases of WPV1 in both countries, 2021 is on track to have the lowest toll of polio virus in a decade (Fig. 1). This reduction in polio may be attributed to efficient governmental interventions and improved awareness of vaccination among the general public.Amidst the fourth wave of COVID-19 and the potential threat of the Delta variant, Pakistan has prioritized polio vaccination campaigns and more than 40 million children have received two doses of the polio vaccine in 2021 9 . By contrast, Afghanistan is struggling to continue their polio vaccination campaigns 10 ; in part due to instability and the changing political dynamics of the country.Vaccine hesitancy in Pakistan and Afghanistan has been a considerable problem for polio eradication in the past. The widespread coverage and administration of COVID-19 vaccines around the world has increased awareness about the lifesaving effects of vaccines, and this has had an effect on public awareness in polio endemic countries. There remains a need for booster doses of polio vaccines, especially in the tropics. There is also a need to implement GPEI's "the switch" strategy to phase out the oral polio vaccine in routine immunizations, which may reduce vaccine-derived polio cases by more than 90%. Nevertheless, COVID-19 vaccination centers remain an ideal setting to increase awareness of polio vaccines, to protect the lives of children, and finally move towards eradication.