By Fatima Mohammed-Lawal
The Kwara State Government, on Tuesday in Ilorin, announced preparations for a Polio Vaccination Campaign, with a target of vaccinating over one million children across the state’s 16 Local Government Areas.
Dr Nusirat Elelu, the Executive Secretary of the Kwara State Primary Healthcare Development Agency stated this while addressing newsmen in Ilorin.
She explained that the Agency has commenced the implementation of a three-day Local Immunization Days (LID).
“Preparation has also been concluded to roll out another round of polio campaign in the State.
“Immunization 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 warned.
The Executive Secretary of the Agency explained that the routine immunization will protect children across the nook and crannies of the state
According to her, the Agency is implementing a three-day intensive routine immunization program for children under the age of two years.
“To this end over 300,000 children less than two years will be reached with life-saving vaccines within three days to protect them against childhood killer diseases.
“The exercise is taking place across all the apex Primary Health Care Facilities and outreach posts in the 193 wards of Kwara,” she said.
She explained that the exercise commenced Monday 21st to Wednesday 23rd October 2024.
Similarly, the executive secretary disclosed that another round of Out Break Response to circulating Mutant Variant of Polio is scheduled to start on Saturday 26th October to 29th October 2024 and will target over a million children.
She noted that the campaign is meant to prevent childhood paralysis due to polio virus.
The Executive Secretary enjoined all parents, care givers, religious houses, schools, Quranic institutions to make eligible children available for vaccination as the teams moves from houses, markets, religious houses and schools.
“All children zero to five years are expected to be vaccinated irrespective of their previous vaccination status.
She reiterated that the vaccine is safe, efficacious and does not have overdose.