Tunde Oyekola
Kwara State Government has commenced the second phase of its polio immunisation campaign for children under the age of five.
The exercise is expected to cover every part of the state, with emphasis on hard-to-reach areas, beginning from Saturday 20th to Tuesday, 23rd April, 2024.
The Executive Secretary of the State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Dr Nusirat Elelu, while speaking during the flag-off of the campaign, called on all parents, religious houses, and schools to get the target children vaccinated within the stipulated time.
He reassured that the vaccine is safe and efficacious, adding, “I enjoin all parents, caregivers, religious houses, schools, and Quranic institutions to make eligible children available for vaccination as the teams move from house to house, markets, religious houses, and schools.
“All children 0-5 years are expected to be vaccinated irrespective of their previous vaccination status. Let me reiterate that the vaccine is safe, efficacious, and does not have an overdose.”
Elelu said poliomyelitis is a highly infectious viral disease that largely affects children under five years of age, adding that the virus can be transmitted through the faecal-oral route or by contaminated water sources or food.
She noted that though Nigeria has been certified polio-free, there is a need to sustain the gains by ensuring that the most at-risk group is protected by boosting population immunity of eligible children through supplementary and routine immunisation activities..
Elelu revealed that at least 2,034 vaccination teams would carry out house-to-house vaccinations to ensure full coverage
Copyright PUNCH
All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express written permission from PUNCH.
Contact: health_wise@punchng.com
.
The post Kwara kicks off second phase polio vaccination for children appeared first on Healthwise.