LASG Immunises 4.3m Children Against Polio

The Lagos State Govern
ment says it has immunised no fewer than 4.3 million children against the preventable Poliomyelitis in the first phase of its National Immunisation Plus Days (NIPDs).
The first phase of the ongoing exercise was concluded in March, a statement by Dr Yewande Adeshina, Special Adviser on Public Health to the Lagos State Governor, said last Friday in Lagos.
The statement said the state was targeting over four million children in the second phase of the NIPDs in April.
It said the March NIPDs which was for four days, was successful with 96 per cent coverage; using the state population figure.
It also said that the Expert Review Committee on Polio Eradication in Nigeria recommended two rounds of NIPDs in March and April 2015, targeted at all children under the age of five.
According to the statement, the children will be immunised with two drops of supplemental oral polio vaccine, while the left little finger of all immunised children will be marked for easy identification.
“Poliomyelitis, commonly called polio, is a viral disease yet to be eradicated in Nigeria and it is one of the preventable childhood diseases which is highly infectious.
“The virus is transmitted through contaminated food and water and it multiplies in the intestine from where it can invade the nervous system.
“The significance of immunisation campaigns cannot be over-emphasised as it is known that immunisation is the most cost-effective strategy in disease prevention amongst children under five years.
“NIPDs campaign is essentially a Polio campaign initiated under the Polio Eradication Initiative in Nigeria.
“The aim is to increase the number of children immunised by immunising at least 95 per cent of children aged 0-59 months with Oral Polio Virus (OPV) in all the local government areas.
“Regardless of their previous immunisation status, this is to reduce zero dose rates that are children that have never received immunisation before.
“It will also increase routine immunisation coverage and promote integration of other child survival strategies,’’ it said.
The statement also said that the April NIPDs campaign would be implemented for only four days — from Saturday, April 25 to Tuesday April 28.
It said the campaign would involve house-to-house, transit and fixed post teams to capture children at homes, markets, churches, mosques, major car parks and social event venues.
“Although the first day of the April NIPDs coincides with the Environmental Sanitation Day, preparations are in place to ensure thorough fare for all the implementers and monitors.
“The coincidence with the Environmental Sanitation Day is in effect an added advantage to the success of the exercise as mothers and caregivers would be home with their babies,’’ it said.
It added that the immunisation teams would administer only OPV to children aged 0 to 59 months irrespective of their immunisation status and encourage the eligible children in the houses to visit the immunisation posts for the other antigens.