The Kano State government has administered the oral polio vaccine to over 3.24 million children in less than five years. The house-to-house exercise, according to the Commissioner for Health, Aminu Ibrahim, is taking place across the 44 local government areas.
Aminu, who briefed reporters, said the January 2021 SIPD campaign is a rollover of the November 2020 campaign.
“Directly observed Oral Polio Vaccination (DOPV) has begun yesterday in the 27 DOPV areas and would finish today. About 3.9 million vaccine doses are available for the targeted 3.24 kids.
“All preparations for the round had been completed. I urge parents to take advantage of this opportunity and immense benefit by bringing out their children to be immunized,” he said, adding that poliomyelitis, which affects the nervous system and cripples legs, has no cure.
Aminu, who revealed that Kano State has been polio-free for 78 months, explained that the only measure of prevention is the use of safe and effective vaccines, through immunization.
“Polio vaccine, given multiple times, almost protects a child for life. A sustainable, reliable, and timely interaction between the vaccine, those who deliver it, and those who receive it, to ensure every child is fully immunized against vaccine-preventable diseases (VPDs), is only achievable through routine immunization.
“Strengthening routine immunization is one of the core pillars of the post-certification and polio-free strategic sustainability plans. Let us be aware that vaccine against polio will continue to be a cornerstone of routine immunization services in Nigeria and African countries, with robust surveillance systems, ensuring laboratories are leaving no case of WPV undetected,” he said.
The Commissioner assured that “Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje is fully committed to ensuring that all eligible children are continuously immunized through various programs targeted at them.”
