Primary Healthcare workers have vaccinated 990,000 children against the Type 2 polio virus in Cross River State, south-south Nigeria.
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The Director General of the Cross River State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Dr. Janet Ekpenyong disclosed this to newsmen shortly after flagging off the Type Two polio virus Second Outbreak Response (OBR2) in Calabar, the state capital.
Dr. Ekpenyong, who represented the wife of the governor, Dr. Linda Ayade said that the national target given to Cross River was 912,980 children, noting “due to the support of the traditional institutions in all the communities, we were able to supersede that target.
“From our records, we vaccinated 990,000 children early this year when we flagged off the first response for 2022. Our target for the second round is also 912, 980 and with the support of religious leaders, traditional rulers, parents, schools, churches, and caregivers, we intend to achieve One million and above,” she said.
Zero polio cases
According to her, the agency in collaboration with the Ministry of Health were continually on public enlightenment campaigns across villages to reach pregnant women and nursing mothers including those residing within communities hard to reach.
The Director General explained that children between the ages of zero to 5 years would be administered two drops of the novel polio vaccine Type Two alongside other antigens that are due.
She commended the governor, Professor Ben Ayade for supporting the agency with resources, which has enhanced its campaign to immunize nearly one million children against the polio virus.
“We are flagging off the Outbreak Response 2 campaign against the dreaded Type 2 polio virus. In this particular campaign, we are targeting children between the ages of 0-5 years. This is because we want to ensure that Cross River State does not record any case of polio.
“The Outbreak Response campaign affords us the opportunity to ensure that health workers reach out to children in hard-to-reach areas across the state. We are believe that this will afford us the opportunity to ensure that every child is protected against the virus,” she hinted.
Ekpenyong explained that although Cross River State has no case of polio, the Type 2 virus reemerged in parts of Nigeria, a situation which called for immediate action to curb its spread.
House-to-house immunization
The Director of Public Health in the Cross River State Ministry of Health, Dr. Iwara Iwara urged mothers and caregivers to view this second response as an opportunity to immunize their children and wards.
Also speaking, the Director of Immunization and Disease Control, Mrs. Joy Chabo stated, “during the campaign, vaccinators will be moving from house to house, worship centres, schools, crèches, recreational centers, markets, shopping malls, every nooks and crannies to administer the vaccines.”
One mother, who has her 5 months old baby immunized, Mrs. Emem UdoEkong expressed appreciation to the state government for empowering the agency and ministry to provide affordable healthcare for their children and pregnant women.
