Lagos commences immunization of children against Polio

• Targets over 4.8 million eligible children

The second round of 2018 National Immunization Plus Days (NIPDs), polio vaccination campaign for children aged zero to 59 months will hold in Lagos State from Saturday 30th June to Tuesday 3rd July, 2018 at all designated sites, the State Government has said.

The Special Adviser to the Governor on Primary Health Care, Dr. Olufemi Onanuga who made this known today while briefing newsmen 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 noted that a target population of 4,823,122 children is 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 8am and 2pm daily for four days.

While noting 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 immunization status, the Special Adviser opined that this will boost the herd of immunity against poliomyelitis.

“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”, he explained.