By Gyang Bere, Jos
Plateau State Polio Representative Victoria Haruna has called on Nigerian women to avail their children for Polio and Yellow Fever routine immunisation to safeguard the children against the diseases in the State.
She lamented how children and adults have perished in some states of the federation due to outbreak of Yellow Fever.
Rotarian Haruna disclosed this on Wednesday when 7 Rotary Clubs in Jos embarked on sensitisation campaign on Polio and Yellow Fever immunisation to commemorate the 2020 World Polio Day with a theme, “Keep Polio Zero” held at UTC Clinic, Jos, Plateau State.
‘We are all aware of the fact that polio has been declared free in Nigeria but we must sustain the campaign on the need for women to continue to immunise children since the vaccine is free.
‘We should not think that Nigeria has been declared polio-free and so we should stay home with our children or stop them from taking immunisation.
‘There is still polio in other countries like Afghanistan and Pakistan, and you know Nigerians travel a lot for business activities and we don’t want a situation where somebody will come from these countries to spread the virus here at home.
‘We have also educated the women about Yellow Fever that is ravaging some states and so we have encouraged the women to also avail their children for the vaccination of the Yellow Fever.
‘That has also been part of the awareness campaign that we have been making so that women will also bring their children for routine immunisation because Yellow Fever is one of the diseases that is ravaging the country.’
Rotarian Haruna, who is also a member of Rotary Club of Jos Central, explained that Polio is like COVID-19 pandemic which was imported into Nigeria by some individuals and encouraged women to continue to avail children for polio and Yellow Fever routine immunisation.
She encouraged women to carry their children for the immunisation, saying that the vaccine is free and health worker who demands payment should be reported to the Rotary International.
