Edo begins ‘Outbreak Response Campaign’ against Polio Virus

The Edo Primary Health Care Development Agency says it has scheduled its “Outbreak Response Campaign” against the circulating variant polio virus from September 16 to September 19.

Irene Uabor, the agency’s Health Education Officer, disclosed this in a statement made available to newsmen in Benin on Friday.

Uabor said two drops of the Novel Oral Polio Vaccine would be administered to children between the ages of 0 – 59 months during the campaign.

She said the vaccination was safe and effective, and would be done in all Primary Health Care Centres and vaccination sites in the state’s 18 local government councils.

“Healthcare workers will also be seen moving from house to house, visiting schools, créches, churches, mosques, markets, motor parks, shopping malls, recreation centres, and other places where eligible children can be found,” she added.

She called on relevant stakeholders to help amplify the right information about the polio vaccination to parents and guardians in the state to prevent an outbreak.

“It is our duty as stakeholders to ensure the right message goes out to our people for compliance, as we do not want an outbreak in the state.

“Parents and guardians are encouraged to get their children/wards vaccinated, and to note that this exercise helps boost the immunity of their children and gives additional protection against circulating variant polio virus,” she said.