The Kwara state government has announced that over one million children across the 16 local government areas of the state will be vaccinated under the Polio Vaccination Campaign. The Executive Secretary of the Kwara State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Dr. Nusirat Elelu, disclosed this on Tuesday in Ilorin during the implementation of a three-day Local Immunization Days (LID).
Dr. Elelu said while the campaign targets over one million children under two years of age, 300,000 children will be vaccinated under the LID. She said, “The Polio Vaccination Campaign, which will commence from Oct. 26 to Oct. 29, is a round of Out Break Response to circulating Mutant Variant of Polio.
“This campaign is meant to prevent childhood paralysis due to polio virus. All children 0-5 years are expected to be vaccinated irrespective of their previous vaccination status.
“The vaccine is safe, efficacious and does not have an overdose.
“Immunisation provides protection against life-threatening vaccine preventable diseases such as tuberculosis, pneumonia, diarrhea, influenza, meningitis, and cancers and can reduce most post-neonatal under-five mortality.”
She further explained that the three-day routine LID immunisation, scheduled for between Monday and Wednesday, would protect children under two years of age in the state.
Elelu emphasised that “The exercise is taking place across all the apex Primary Health Care facilities and outreach posts in the 193 wards of Kwara.”
The commissioner, therefore, encouraged parents and guardians to take advantage of the opportunity. Hear her: “All parents, care givers, religious houses, schools, quranic institutions should make eligible children available for vaccination as the teams move from houses to markets, religious houses and schools.”
