The Anambra State Government announced on Tuesday that it is commencing the first round of National Immunisation Plus Days (NIPDs) against circulating Polio Virus Type 2 (CVPV2) infection on May 3.
The exercise is scheduled to last until Tuesday, 6th May 2025.
This was revealed by Pharmacist Chisom Uchem, the Executive Secretary of the Anambra State Primary Health Care Development Agency (ASPHCDA), during a meeting of health stakeholders in Awka.
Uchem, who was represented by Dr. Ngozi Okeke, Director of Community Health Services, ASPHCDA, said that children between 0 and 59 months would be immunized with the Novel Oral Polio Vaccine (NOPV).
She described the NOPV as a vaccine that immunes children against poliomyelitis, a deadly childhood disease that could cripple a child or even kill the victim.
“The Polio campaign will run from May 3 to May 6, at healthcare centres, house-to-house, community centres, schools, markets, motor parks, Mosques, Churches and other designated posts,” she said.
Also speaking, Dr Bonos Mohammed, the Anambra State Coordinator, World Health Organisation, emphasised that religious and community leaders play a crucial role in mobilising the public and preventing vaccine hesitancy.
“This is the final opportunity to vaccinate children against polio in Nigeria. Our goal is to ensure that every child receives the vaccine to achieve herd immunity against the virus,” he said.
In her remarks, the state Health Educator, Mrs. Uju Onwuegbuzina, called on parents and caregivers to ensure that their children and wards were brought forward for immunization.
She said vaccination officers had been trained and deployed across the state for effective mobilisation and compliance.
In their separate remarks, the UNICEF Strategic Behaviour Communication Anambra State Facilitator, Dr. Uju Eze, and representatives from various groups and ministries, including the Christian Association of Nigeria, Civil society organisations, the Ministry of Education, Traditional and community leaders, pledged their support for the campaign.
While pointing out that the present nationwide immunisation exercise is Nigeria’s last opportunity to end polio transmission, asked religious groups, nongovernmental organisations and others to prioritize execution of the exercise by making sure that all children between zero to fifty -nine months take the Oral Polio Vaccine, OPV, irrespective of previous immunisation status.
