NAN
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has called on parents in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), to ensure that children are immunised against polio virus to secure their future.
Dr Furera Zakari, the WHO state coordinator for FCT, made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Saturday.
According to her, the immunisation exercise scheduled to commence from Nov. 3 Nov. 6, is to ensure children are vaccinated for protection and eradication of the virus in the country.
“Polio is a highly infectious disease caused by a virus that mainly affects children under five years of age.
“I appeal to parents to present their children for immunisation and if the vaccine does not get to them, they should report to the nearest local government.
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“The polio vaccine today is accessible to the masses even in most of the remote locations due to the efforts of World Health Organisation.
“The only thing is for the parent to be convinced that the vaccine is necessary to save their children future,” she said.
The coordinator called on parents and traditional rulers in the area councils to ensure that children were vaccinated during the immunisation exercise.
She said that the primary healthcare coordinators in the area councils were also committed to educating parents on the importance of polio immunisation in the rural communities.
Zakari urged parents and caregivers in FCT to always see immunisation as the only way to completely eradicate polio virus in the country.