The Lagos State Primary Health Care Board (LSPHCB) has commenced an oral Polio Vaccination exercise across the 57 Local Government/Local Council Development Areas of the State from Saturday, 9th April to Tuesday, 12th April, 2022.
A statement signed by the Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Primary Health Care Board (LSPHCB), Dr. Ibrahim Akinwumi Mustafa, said the exercise is aimed at preventing and eradicating polio in Lagos State and Nigeria as a whole
.
He explained that the vaccination teams will be visiting all households, hospitals, schools, churches, mosques, recreational centres, estates, markets, shopping plazas and anywhere children are found during the implementation days, adding that two drops of Oral Polio Vaccine will be administered to eligible children between 0 – 5 years old, irrespective of their previous immunisation status.
In his words: “Nigeria was certified free from the Wild Polio Virus (WPV) on 25th of August, 2020, after three consecutive years of reporting no case of WPV. However, some countries still transmit the Wild Polio Variant, which has been on the increase in some States across Nigeria due to low routine immunisation coverage occasioned by security challenges and poor access to health care services”.
“To curb the spread, Lagos State Government, through the Lagos State Primary Health Care Board (LSPHCB) and in collaboration with the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) with support from partners, has recommended that all children between the ages of 0 to 5 years old receive the Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV) for two rounds”, he added.
Dr. Mustafa further stated that the two rounds of polio vaccination exercise will be conducted between April 9 to April 12 as well as between May 7 – 10, 2022.
“The fight against this dangerous disease should be taken seriously by the health workers and parents. I, therefore, solicit the support of residents to make their children available and accord the vaccination team the support needed when they arrive to vaccinate the eligible children”, the Permanent Secretary said.
