Enugu State targets 1.2m children for polio vaccination in April

Enugu State targets to vaccinate 1.2 million children against polio in April.

The vaccines are free, safe and effective and would be applied on children up to five years of age.

Dr George Ugwu, Executive Secretary of Enugu State Primary Healthcare Development Agency (ENS-PHCDA), told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) about the target in Enugu on Saturday.

He said the exercise would be taken to all neighbourhoods in the state and would be conducted in four days.

Ugwu said there might be a mop up of two extra days for neighbourhoods or areas with difficult-to-reach terrains.

“ENS-PHCDA will hold the April 2022 polio vaccination in Enugu State in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), the WHO, UNICEF and other stakeholders.

“The exercise will take place between April 9, and April 12, throughout the state.

“The immunisation will involve the movement of trained and authorised health workers to administer Oral Polio Vaccine into the mouths of children from 0 to five years of age.

“Health workers will visit homes, schools, churches, market places and everywhere children under five years of age are found to give them oral polio vaccines.

“The vaccine protects children from poliomyelitis infection, which paralyses or kills infected children.

“Other scheduled routine immunisation will be going on simultaneously at health centres in all local government areas for children less than two years,’’ he said.

The ENS-PHCDA boss urged parents and caregivers as well as elders and community leaders to ensure that qualified children benefitted from the scheme.

“We should collectively protect our children and loved ones from dangerous diseases preventable by free, safe and effective vaccines,’’ Egwu said.

In March, the NPHCDA commended Enugu State government over its 100 per cent coverage at the February National Immunisation Plus Days (NIPDS) campaign. (NAN)