Polio vaccination begins in Lagos

It is no longer news that there have been new cases of poliomyelitis reported in Nigeria just two years after the nation was declared free of the Wild Polio Virus (WPV) (WHO).

After three years of reporting no cases of WPV, Nigeria was awarded the all-clear on August 25, 2020.

According to Dr. Ibrahim Mustafa, the Permanent Secretary of the Lagos State Primary Health Care Board (LSPHCB), the low routine immunization coverage was to blame for the virus's reintroduction to the nation.

The National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) and the Lagos State Government have launched the Polio Outbreak Response (OBR) Campaign to stop the spread, according to Mustafa, who made this announcement in a statement on Sunday in Lagos.

He stated that the effort was required to retain the nation's polio-free status and to prevent a setback in the great accomplishments of the nation.

“The campaign aims to vaccinate all children, aged 0 to five years, with two drops of the oral polio vaccine, regardless of their previous vaccination status to prevent poliomyelitis that may result in paralysis of the limbs or death,” he said.

Mustafa stated that vaccination teams would go to residential buildings, educational institutions, places of worship, gated communities, and other public locations where it was possible to find eligible children.

“In view of this, we solicit all parents, guardians, community leaders, pastors and imams to ensure that all eligible children are vaccinated during the campaign in all our communities,” he said.

Mustafa further stated that during the campaign, routine immunization services would be provided at the primary health centers.