Obinna Odogwu, Abakaliki
Ebonyi State government has said that it plans mass immunisation against Yellow Fever which broke out in the state recently.
This, it said, became necessary to forestall further deaths which were earlier recorded following the outbreak of the disease at Ndungele community, Izzi Local Government Area of the state.
This was announced by the state Commissioner for Health, Dr Daniel Umezuruike, at a press conference held at Cabinet Office, Government House, Abakaliki.
He said that the exercise would be carried out in association with the United Nations agencies and other partners in order to ensure that the outbreak was handled appropriately.
Umezuruike said: “At present, ICG process has been completed for possible mass vaccination for all residents of Ebonyi State. The state Ministry of Health is working with all the UN agencies and other partners to conduct mass reactive vaccination campaign for the state within the target age of 9 months to 44 years.
“Nigerian Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) declared this an outbreak of Yellow fever and reactivated the National Rapid Response Team comprising NCDC, NAPHCDA, WHO on August 1, 2019, to support our state.
“The summary of the situation report is that since the current outbreak of Yellow fever, Ebonyi State has recorded a total of nine positive cases (3 PCR and 6 serology) with two deaths among the positive cases.
“Presently, we still have six patients on admission: three in Ndingele MDG, one in Iboko General Hospital and two in Alex Ekwueme Federal University Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki (AEFUTHA). However, the index case has been successfully managed and discharged from the MDG Ndingele,” he said