The Chairman Etsako East Local Government Area of Edo State, Princess Benedicta Attoh has appealed to traditional rulers and community leaders, community-based organizations, religious bodies, individuals, and families in the locality to join in mobilising mothers and caregivers to make their children available to health workers that have been deployed across various communities for vaccination against polio disease.
Princess Attoh, who made the appeal while flagging off Polio immunisation exercise in the council area reiterated that Polio v vaccine is not COVID-19 vaccine, and appealed to the people not to hide their children as some did during the Covid 19 vaccination.
The council boss who was at the Okpekpe Primary Health Center during the official flag-off exercise on Saturday, thanked Governor Godwin Obaseki for his commitment in ensuring that Edo children remained safe and healthy.
She described Polio as a preventable disease through vaccination, saying immunisation remained the best protection against polio and recommended it for all infants, and children to protect them from the harmful effects of polio.
Attoh called on stakeholders to support the local government health workers by ensuring compliance and help to create mass awareness of the Polio Immunisation campaign that would continue till Tuesday next week while Wednesday and Thursday will be used for mop up.
She advised that any community that the health workers had not visited between Saturday and Monday to raise alarm as Polio vaccination remained the people’s right and is free.
Speaking also at the flag off exercise, the State Facilitator, Catherine Darpokpo said the state government was committed in ensuring that Edo State is polio-free.
Her view was also echoed by other speakers at the occasion.
On his part, HRH, Apa Peter Abalumhe Osigbemeh, Onwueweko Clan Head of Okpekpe Kingdom, thanked the state government and the local government chairman for considering Okpekpe for the flag-off of the exercise, assuring that health workers would be given the needed cooperation to ensure the success of the program.
In his welcome address the coordinator of Primary Health Care in the council, Dr Damisa, reiterated that the intention of the immunisation was to promote the growth of children, and urged mothers in Etsako East to make their children available as health workers would be visiting their homes to vaccinate their children for free.
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