Immunization against Polio begins in Plateau State

About one million children from zero to five years are to be immunized against the crippling polio virus in Plateau state in four days.

Over three thousand teams of immunization personnel with support from Rotary International, World Health Organization, UNICEF, and other partners are going house to house in all nooks and crannies of the state to ensure that children who are the target population are reached.

Plateau state representative of Rotary International polio eradication initiative Victoria Bonaventure said ‘we are off to a good start with enough vaccines available and staff plus other volunteers ready to immunize not less than nine hundred thousand children in four days.

Prior to the start of immunization in Jos North, wife of the local government chairman Farida Bala Usman at a flag-off ceremony appealed to parents and guardians to take advantage of the polio immunization to prevent any resurgence of the polio virus in the area.

Farida Usman called on traditional and Community leaders ‘to cooperate with Health personnel deployed to various wards to administer the polio vaccines on their ward as the exercise is for the good of their children’.

The wife of the Chairman noted the determination of the Council in ensuring that every child within the age of zero to five years receives the polio vaccine to rid the world of all strains of polio virus, so that children are not affected by polio paralysis.

Farida Usman expressed appreciation to the Plateau state governor, Simon Lalong, Jos North local government chairman, Rotary International, the World Health Organization, UNICEF, and other international donors as well as the State Ministry of Health ‘for their steadfastness in ensuring the smooth exercise to eradicate polio virus and other diseases in the state.

Councilor representing Ungwan Rogo- Ungwan Rimi ward Suleiman Tamim assured the Health personnel of their safety during the exercise and for mop up thereafter.

Director of Health of the Council, Martha Milat Kummiap said ‘the vaccine is free, safe and effective for the eradication of polio virus and together we can make Jos North a free polio council’.

The Ungwan Rogo Community-women leader, Mrs. Baraba Yusuf appreciated Jos North Local Government Council for choosing the area for the flag off of the exercise and assured of their Commitment to creating awareness to mitigate the disease and present target children for immunization.

The high point of the occasion was vaccination of children with two drops of the vaccine by the Wife of Jos North Local Government Council Chairman Farida Usman, State Technical Facilitator, Representatives of the Rotary International, World Health Organization, UNICEF as well as the representative of the Primary Health Care Development Agency.