Anambra vaccinates 2.3m children against polio

According to the Anambra State Government, during the first phase of the Outbreak Response Exercise in September, 2.3 million children under the age of 0-59 months received the polio vaccine.

This was revealed on Thursday at a press conference to launch the second phase of the polio vaccination campaign in Awka by the state's commissioner of health, Dr. Afam Obidike.

According to Obidike, the campaign's first phase, which ran from September 16 to September 19, was intended to vaccinate over 1.5 million children, but over 2.3 million children received vaccinations, accounting for 140 percent of the total coverage.

He claims that the World Health Organisation and other partners work with the Anambra State Primary Health Care Development Agency to carry out the campaign.

He continued by saying that the second round of vaccinations was still being administered in response to the polio outbreak that occurred in Nkanu West, an Enugu State neighbouring town.

He said, “We encourage parents and caregivers to present their children to be immunised to strengthen their immunity against the virus.

“We are also integrating routine immunisation during this four-day exercise as well as birth registration for children to help the state government with data to plan for their healthcare.

"So, it is an all-encompassing campaign. The vaccines are safe and free of charge. We are hopeful that the campaign will be as successful as we had in the first phase.

“We urge the media to take the news out there so that people can understand the need to vaccinate their children against the disease. Vaccinated children live healthy and longer.”

The commissioner encouraged the public to report any medical professionals who sought payment in order to give vaccinations, even as she thanked WHO and other partners for their assistance.

Source