Bauchi Gov’t Targets 2,286,507 Children For Vaccination Against Vaccine Drive Polio Virus.
By Murtala Muhammad
Over two point two million children from zero to five years are being targeted in Bauchi State for immunization against environmental circulating vaccine drive polio virus.
The Executive Chairman of the State Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr. Rilwanu Mohammed stated this while flagging off this year’s first round of the vaccination, held at Bayan Fada PHC in Bauchi metropolis.
Dr. Rilwanu Mohammed said despite the country’s success in the fight against Wild Polio Virus that led to certification by the World Health Organisation (WHO) there was the need for the state to do everything within its powers to prevent the children against the disease.
He said the state government had procured over two point three million doses of the vaccine for the exercise in all the twenty local government areas of the state.
The Executive Chairman who called on mothers to make sure that their children get vaccinated urged people in the state to ensure personal and environmental hygiene to guard themselves against diseases.
The State Coordinator, National Primary Health Care Development Agency, NPHCDA, Alhaji Bashir Maidabino who expressed concern that the disease is being found in the environment said if care was not taken the wild polio virus would resurface and the WHO might withdraw the certification.
The representative of the National Emergency Polio Operation Center and the WHO Country Office Abuja, Mr. Ocheh James said no child should be left unvaccinated and assured continued support for the state to curtail spread of diseases especially the ones militating against children.
The Director PHC, Bauchi Local Government, Sulaiman Abdu Kirfi who appreciated the support being rendered by the state government, NPHCDA, WHO and other partners, assured readiness to deliver for the safety of all children under the ages of five.
