FG releases 28m Oral Polio Vaccines for immunisation exercise

October 05, 2012 16:00

NAN-HG-6

Vaccines

Abuja, Oct. 5, 2012 (NAN) The National Primary Health Care Development Agency says the Federal Government has released 28 million Oral Polio Vaccines for immunisation exercise in  polio high risk states.

This is contained in a statement signed by Mr Saadu Salahu, the Head, Public Relations Unit of the agency, in Abuja on Friday.

Dr Ado Muhammad, the Executive Director of the agency, said the vaccines had been released for the success of the exercise in this month’s campaign in these high risk states.

According to him, more than 25 million under-five children will be immunised during the supplementary immunisation exercise.

Muhammad said the exercise would be carried out in 12 polio high risk states in the north from Oct. 6 to Oct. 9.

He said the exercise was designed specifically to immunise every under-five child, especially those not immunised in the previous exercises.

The 12 polio high risk states are: Borno, Yobe, Katsina, Bauchi, Kaduna, Kebbi, Sokoto, Zamfara, Kebbi, Jigawa, Kano and Niger.

The executive director urged the chairmen of local government areas in the polio high risk states to ensure that every under-five child in their locality was immunised against poliomyelitis.

``The chairmen, public office holders from the polio high risk areas and civil society organisations need to assist, by mobilising all in their locality for the success of the exercise.

He said that 96 per cent of the federation was polio free, while the remaining polio high risk areas constituted 4 per cent.

He added that more attention was being focused on these areas by stakeholders and the international community. (NAN)

FNO/IFY/OFN

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