The United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) has commenced immunisation on Fractional Inter-reactive Polio Vaccine (FIPV) and Oral Polio Vaccine to more than 66,876 children of 0-59 months in Sokoto State.
This was disclosed by the Director, Primary Health Care, Bodinga Local Government Council, Alhaji Hassan Kamba, at the commencement of the exercise.
Kamba hinted that eight local government areas would benefit from the exercise, including Bodinga, Kware, Yabo, Sokoto South, Sokoto North, Wamakko, Dange/Shuni and Wurno.
The director said: “Our people especially in Bodinga are very much interested in this vaccine in order to boost the immunity of their children.
“The State Government has also provided packs of Indomie noodles to be distributed to children that are being vaccinated to encourage mothers to bring in their children for immunisation,” he said.
The director said that a lot of advocacy was made to the eight local government areas and their sole administrators including the seven districts in Bodinga local government area.
Kamba later told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that 53 health workers had been engaged are being deployed, including 10 women each, to different districts for the immunisation as there are well trained and fully aware of the FIPV vaccine.
However, he explained that take-off of the programme was their challenge as the people in the community delayed in coming out early for the exercise.
NAN reports that there is encouraging turnout for the exercise in the local government as many children are being immunised.
Mr Zakari Bello affected with Polio also told NAN that: “I am involved in the immunisation work.
“I do administer polio vaccine on children successfully so that our children will not end up in a wheel chair like us.’’
Malam Abubakar Sifawa also said: “Now none of our people reject the vaccine but we still do not relent in persuading and enlightening them.’’ (NAN)