Timothy Olanrewaju, Maiduguri
Polio immunisation is drawing more interest and acceptability among locals in the volatile Borno State troubled by eight years of Boko Haram insurgency.
The six-day immunisation exercise, the second this year, is targeting childdren from age five and below against poliomyelitis, the virus that causes paralysis especially at Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps and communities where suspected polio virus were discovered in 2016, Unicef said.
At Kofar Maila where suspected case of polio virus was discovered in a drainage in 2016, locals brought out their children on Sunday for the Immunization Plus vaccine against Polio by health workers.
An immunisation supervisor, Falmata Baba described the exercise and turn out as encouraging. She said parents and guardians especially at IDPs camp have been cooperating with health officials, adding that the initial aparthy and refusal by parents have reduced.
Ward Head of Shehuri North 1, Digma Zubairu told The Sun sensitization among the people has helped to reduce rejection of the vaccine by the locals. “We held meetings with the malams and the issue of rejection has been reduced. we will continue speaking and talking to them as the vaccine doesn’t cause infertility as being speculated,” he said.
Two suspected Wild Polio Virus (WPV1) were discovered in Borno in July and August 2016 after more than two years without detection of polio. The immunization ends on Tuesday.