Posted by By AGAPTUS ANAELE on
Children of destitutes who live under the bridges and bus stops are among the 3.5 million children to be immunized with the oral polio vaccine in the second round of the National Immunization Days, which commenced on Friday.
Children of destitutes who live under the bridges and bus stops are among the 3.5 million children to be immunized with the oral polio vaccine in the second round of the National Immunization Days, which commenced on Friday.
The State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Leke Pitan, who disclosed this during the flag off ceremony of the NIDs at Ikosi/Itsheri Local Council Development Area of Kosofe, said that the move was to ensure that they do not pose threat to the polio eradication initiative of the government.
'Once they are not immunized, our children are in danger," Pitan said.
According to him, about 12,000 personnel have been mobilized for the exercise.
Pitan said that the teams consist of 1,958 Sweep groups, who will be moving from house to house to immunize children.
He said: ' Each sweep group is made up of six people plus other officials that will be on the field throughout the period, which is 11-14, 2006.
'I want to appeal to all our mothers and care givers to cooperate with vaccinators so that all eligible children, 0-59 months can be vaccinated with two drops of potent oral vaccine."
He recalled that about about 3.2 million children, were immunized during the first round of the exercise, held last month.
The LGA was peculiar because of the presence of the popular Mile 12 Market that attracts people from the northern part of the country, where there is high level of resistance to immunization.
Nigeria accounted for 80 per cent of global polio cases in 2005, and at present has about 31 confirmed polio cases.