Chioma Umeha
Lagos – To protect children from polio infection,
the Lagos State Government has said it is targeting no fewer than 4.9 million
children between 0-59 months, irrespective of their immunisation status, for
free vaccine which began on Saturday, at various designated centers across the
state.
According to World Health Organisation(WHO),
Poliomyelitis (polio) is a highly infectious viral disease, which mainly
affects young children. The virus is transmitted by person-to-person spread
mainly through the faecal-oral route or, less frequently, by a common vehicle
(e.g. contaminated water or food) and multiplies in the intestine, from where
it can invade the nervous system and can cause paralysis.
Initial symptoms of polio include fever, fatigue,
headache, vomiting, stiffness in the neck, and pain in the limbs. In a small
proportion of cases, the disease causes paralysis, which is often permanent.
There is no cure for polio, it can only be prevented by immunisation.
Speaking at the flagging off of the National
Immunisation Plus Days (NIPDs) at Shomolu Local Government Secretariat, Lagos,
the special adviser to the Governor on primary health care Dr Olufemi Onanuga
said the government was aiming to increase the total number of children who
receive Oral Polio Vaccine in the state, as this would boost their immunity.
Noting that the state government was particularly
interested in the health of children, Onanuga stressed that the goal is to
ensure that they enjoy good health services. Onanuga also said the government
had embarked on massive media campaigns as the NIPDs would involve
house-to-house, transit and fixed post operations between the hours of 8am and
2pm daily for four days.
Onanuga further assured on the level of
preparedness for the campaign at a flag-off ceremony to signal the commencement
of the campaign at Agege Local Government Secretariat.
He said, “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 care givers to vaccination
posts stressing that the vaccination campaign will hold between the hours of
8am and 2pm daily for four days.
He further observed that the goal of the State
government is 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.
The Special Adviser stressed that this will boost
children’s immunity against poliomyelitis.
He explained, “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 mobilizers
are moving within communities to sensitize and mobilize citizenry effectively.”
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| Nursing Mothers and their babies at a Flag-Off Ceremony to signal commencement of second round 2018 National Immunisation Plus Days at Agege weekend. |
Onanuga stressed that town announcements;
community dialogues; mosque and church announcements; sensitizations 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 stated the
vaccination service is free.
He also said, the vaccine is safe and effective,
and is to be administered to the children irrespective of their previous
immunisation status.
While emphasising that the immunization is free,
effective and safe with little gifts as incentives for immunised children, he
enjoined parents and caregivers to take advantage of the campaign to boost the
immunity of their children by immunising their wards at government designated
centers across the state.
Said he “I hereby seize this opportunity to
encourage our parents and care givers to ensure that their children and wards
are taken to the primary health care clinics to receive vaccine and all other scheduled
immunizations. This campaign is another window of opportunity to protect our
children from vaccine preventable diseases.”
Onanuga who noted that the responsibility to
vaccinate all eligible children against measles is not that of the parents and care
givers alone added that the responsibility rests on everybody to ensure that
children are fully immunized against childhood 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”, the Special Adviser posited.
