The Enugu State Government says it will embark on a six-day specific-target polio vaccination to sustain the state’s decades-long polio free-status.
Dr George Ugwu, the Executive Secretary of Enugu State Primary Health Care Development Agency (ENS-PHCDA), disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Enugu on Friday.
Ugwu said that the polio specific-target vaccination would take place in Uzo-Uwani Local Government area between Aug. 22 and Aug. 27.
The executive secretary said that a total of 35,775 children from three months to five years had been penciled in for vaccination in the council area within the six days.
He said that 29 vaccination teams had been trained and mobilised for the exercise taking place in primary healthcare centres in the council area.
According to him, the exercise is intended to ensure the sustenance of the state’s polio free-status and by extension the whole Nigeria.
Ugwu appealed to parents, mothers and caregivers to take their children under five years old with their health cards to the primary healthcare centres nearest to them in the council area.
“The ENS-PHCDA, National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), WHO, UNICEF, as well as Rotary International, Association of Local Government of Nigeria (ALGON) and other stakeholders, are to hold fractional inactivated polio vaccine in Uzo-Uwani council area.
“This is an immunisation campaign that involves mass immunisation of children three month to five years with polio vaccine and other vaccines by trained and authorised health workers.
“This immunisation exercise is facility-based, Not house-to-house. Health workers will be ready at the primary healthcare centres and other public places where children under five years are found in the council area to administer vaccine on them.
“The vaccine protects these children from polio-myelitis and other infections which paralyze or kill such infected child,’’ he said.
Ugwu also said that within this period, other scheduled routine immunisation activities would also go on in various health centres in all health centres simultaneously.
He stressed that: “all vaccines are free, safe and very effective’’, adding that “all health facilities and workers will observe the NCDC COVID-19 preventive measures and protocols.’’
NAN
