Rivers Gears Up For First Round Of Polio Immunization Campaign

Rivers State is set for the first round of the Oral Polio Vaccine Immunization Campaign from the 3rd through to the 6th of May, 2025.

This was disclosed by the state Director, Community Health Services, Dr. Joy Tonye Wihioka, during a sensitization meeting with the Social and Behavioral-Change Communication Committee (SBCC) and stakeholders for the round one of the National Immunization Pulse Days (NIPDs) in Port Harcourt.

According to Dr. Wihioka, this campaign is targeted at the hard to reach areas and will focus on children within the age range of zero to five years.

The Immunization exercise  according to her, will basically go from  house to house, community to community and school to school campaign.

She said the meeting is primarily a Clarion call to all relevant stakeholders to create awareness on the improvement of the programme in the state.

Dr. Wihioka explained that the Rivers State government is striving towards  sufficient coverage in the vaccination exercise, noting that the state has recorded over 90% coverage of the vaccination exercise, save for the hard to reach areas, hence this exercise is deliberately targeted at these areas, as all necessary logistics have been put in place to ensure the successful implementation of the immunization campaign.

She said that one great achievement of the state is the near eradication of measles and whooping cough, even as the the state is not resting on its oars in carrying consistent surveillance for other  vaccine preventable diseases.

She explained that it is the testament of the vaccination successes that most of these diseases have been eradicated in our dear state,  that over the years it has been proven that vaccines are safe in managing preventable diseases.

On her part, the State Health Educator, Rivers State Primary Health Care Management Board (RSPHCMB), Dr Babbo Diana, said one day had been designated to school children for the first round of the  Oral Polio Vaccine Immunization Campaign, explaining that children between the ages of zero to five years, would be targeted in  churches, mosques, market places and schools for them to be vaccinated.

He added that this year’s exercise would address the high number of unresolved non compliance cases.

Earlier, a representative of the World Health Organization (WHO), Ajawa Chibuzor, had pledged the support of the WHO in curtailing the issue of vaccine preventable diseases in the state.

Chibuzor who is an Assistant Health Public Officer said the Organisation is fully committed to ensuring that Rivers State is free from all vaccine preventable diseases.

Also speaking, the representative of the United Nation International children  Educational fund (UNICEF), Sandra James, said that UNICEF would encourage the Rivers State Health Care Management Board (RSPHCMB) to have a healthy State free of Polio.