Polio: 83,850 children immunised in Kano as traditional rulers intervene

The Coordinator of Primary Health Care in Minjibir Local Government Area of Kano State, Alhaji Aliyu Lawal, has said that the intervention of traditional rulers and ward leaders in the council had helped to change the minds of some parents who had earlier rejected polio immunisation for their children.

This is just as the council said 63,850 children were immunised within three days of the commencement of the routine immunisation out of the targeted 70,000.

Lawal said the challenge immunisation officers faced at the initial stage was that some parents rejected the polio vaccine, saying it was meant for family planning.

He said, however, that traditional rulers and ward leaders were able to educate the parents on the fact that the vaccine is meant to fight the six killer diseases that usually affect children.

Based on this intervention, parents who had earlier rejected the vaccine became convinced and allowed their children to be immunised.

Alhaji Lawal further disclosed that the immunisation officers, aside from embarking on house-to-house immunisation, also immunised children at motor parks and schools.