Lagos commences 2nd round of polio immunisation, urge parents to comply

LAGOS State Government through its Ministry of Health has announced the action plan for the commencement of the second round of immunisation against polio for children aged zero to 59 months.

According to the special adviser to the governor on Primary Health Care, Dr Olufemi Onanuga, the immunisation process will begin in Lagos State from Saturday 30th June to Tuesday 3rd July 2018 at all designated centres.

Speaking during a press briefing on the level of preparedness for the campaign at a flag-off ceremony at Agege Local Government Secretariat on Friday, Onanuga disclosed that 4,823,122 children are expected to be covered during the vaccination campaign.

“The NIPDs would involve house-to-house, transit and fixed post teams. In all, Lagos State will mount 752 fixed posts, 4859 house-to-house and 1712 transit teams, children at home, markets, churches, mosques, major car parks and social events venues would be specifically targeted,” he said.

Onanuga added that plans have been made to implement activities that would attract children and caregivers to vaccination posts stressing that the vaccination campaign will hold between the hours of 8 am and 2 pm daily for four days.

He also noted that the goal of the State Government was to increase the number of children between zero and 59 months who receive two drops of oral polio vaccine irrespective of their previous immunisation status, as this will boost the herd of immunity against poliomyelitis.

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“To ensure the success of this year’s polio vaccination campaign, many training sessions have been conducted to strengthen the capacity of relevant health workers, the State government has equally embarked on massive media campaigns involving airing of jingles while LGA social mobilisers are moving within communities to sensitise and mobilise citizenry effectively”, he explained.

Onanuga stated that town announcements; community dialogues; mosque and church announcements; sensitisations with schools; and advocacy meetings with LGA Chairmen, Ward Councillors, Supervisory Councillors for Health, and key traditional and religious leaders have been and are being carried out.

While appealing to parent and caregiver to ensure that all the children in Lagos between 0 months and 59 months received two oral drops of polio vaccine during this campaign, the Special Adviser stressed the vaccination service is free, safe and effective, and will be administered to the children irrespective of their previous immunisation status.

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“I hereby seize this opportunity to encourage our parents and caregivers to ensure that their children and wards are taken to the primary health care clinics to receive the vaccine and all other scheduled immunisations.

This campaign is another window of opportunity to protect our children from vaccine-preventable diseases”.

“The State government is particularly interested in the health of the children and as such is prepared to carry out any activity that will ensure that their right to health is attained. Polio is one of the major killer diseases of children under the age of five years which can be prevented by vaccination.”