One million children to be immunised in 4 local govts
By Moshood Adebayo
Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole yesterday confirmed an outbreak of wild polio virus in Borno State.
The new cases of the wild polio virus recorded in Gwoza and Jere in Borno state has set back efforts towards declaring Nigeria polio free in 2017.
Nigeria was going to be declared polio free next year, if the country did not record any new case.
In a statement, Adewole said the new outbreak affected two children in the council areas of the northern part of the country.
He said the fresh cases were detected by health officials from the ministry during a surveillance trip to the North–Eastern states of the zone. Adewole, who charged parents in the region to stay vigilant said a national emergency response team has been sent to Borno State for immediate polio vaccination campaign
To prevent the spread of the virus locally and internationally, the minister said a national emergency response team had been sent to the state.
He added that the team would see to the immediate polio vaccination campaign in the affected areas.
“Our overriding priority right now is to rapidly boost immunity in the affected areas to ensure that no more children are affected by this terrible disease.
“Local health officials with the support of partners, including WHO and UNICEF, are conducting detailed risk analysis to clearly ascertain the extent of circulation of the virus, and to assess overall levels of population immunity in order to guide the response.
“As immediate response, about one million children are to be immunised in four local government areas in Borno State. Children in adjoining states of Yobe, Adamawa and Gombe will also be immunised, bringing the number to about five million in the four states.
“The new cases of the wild polio virus recorded in Gwoza and Jere in Borno state has set back efforts towards declaring Nigeria polio free in 2017,” Adewole regretted.