•ENS-PHCDA Executive Secretary, Dr George Ugwu
By CHARLES IWUOHA
The Enugu State Government says it will embark on a six-day specific-target polio vaccination to strengthen state’s decades-long polio free-status.
Dr George Ugwu, Executive Secretary, Enugu State Primary Health Care Development Agency (ENS-PHCDA), disclosed this in an interview with newsmen after the flag-off in Uzo-Uwani council area secretariat on Sunday.
Ugwu said that the polio specific-target vaccination that is ongoing in Uzo-Uwani Local Government Area alone would run between Saturday, August 22, and Thursday, August 27.
The executive secretary noted that a total of 35,775 children from three months to 60 months (five years) had been penciled down to be vaccinated in the council area within the six days.
He noted that 29 vaccination teams had been trained and mobilised for the exercise, which would be health facility-based (taking place in Primary Healthcare Centres in the council area).
According to him, the exercise is intended to ensure the continued sustenance of our polio free-status in Enugu State and by extension the whole Nigeria.
Ugwu, however, appealed to parents, mothers and caregivers to take their children under five years with their health cards to the Primary Healthcare Centres nearest to them in the council area.
“The ENS-PHCDA, National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), WHO, UNICEF as well as Rotary International, Association of Local Government of Nigeria (ALGON) and other stakeholders to hold Fractional Inactivated Polio Vaccine in Uzo-Uwani council area.
“This is an immunisation campaign that involves mass immunisation of children three month to five years with polio vaccine and other vaccines by trained and authorised health workers.
“This immunisation exercise is facility-based (Not house-to-house). Health workers will be ready at the Primary Healthcare Centres and other public places where children under five years are found in the council area to administer vaccine on them.
“The vaccine protects these children from polio-myelitis and other infections which paralyze or kill such infected child,” he said.
Ugwu also said that within this period, other scheduled routine immunisation activities would also go on in various health centres in all health centres simultaneously.
He said that “all vaccines are free, safe and very effective”, adding that “all health facilities and workers will observe the NCDC COVID-19 preventive measures and protocols.”