FCTA, WHO partner to vaccinate 2.4m children against polio

<p>The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), on Friday, announced its partnership with the World Health Organisation (WHO) in a vaccine-for-noodles campaign, aiming to encourage parents, particularly those in rural areas, to bring out their babies for vaccination against the polio virus.</p>, <p>The campaign aims to vaccinate over 2.4 million children in all Six Area Councils of the territory.</p>, <p>Dr Isah Vatsa, the Executive Secretary of the FCT Primary Healthcare Board, disclosed this during a press briefing to announce the commencement of routine immunization with ‘fractional inactivated polio vaccine (fipv) and novel oral polio vaccine (nOPV2).</p>, <p>He revealed that out of the figure, 1,274,415 children will be vaccinated with nOPV2, while 1,210,588 will take fipv.</p>, <p>The immunization campaign will have two phases: the first phase will cover five Area Councils – Abaji, Kwali, Kuje, Gwagwalada, and Bwari – from 29th July to August 4th. The second phase will be carried out in the Abuja Municipal Area Council, from August 5th to August 11th.</p>, <p>Dr Vatsa explained that several strategies have been deployed to ensure that every eligible child is reached during the immunization.</p>, <p>“The immunisation campaign we are starting in the FCT from 29th July to August 11 is a supplemental immunisation exercise aimed at interrupting the risk of transmission of all forms of the poliovirus and boosting the routine immunization coverage in the FCT.</p>, <p>“All the PHC facilities and government hospitals in the Six Area Councils of the FCT will be used as vaccination posts. This will help ease the stress on the parents and caregivers, and there will be temporary vaccination posts situated in workshop centres, schools, markets, village squares, and other designated centres identified by the communities.”</p>, <p>Dr Kumshida Balami, the coordinator of the World Health Organization (WHO) in FCT, highlighted the significance of vaccination in the fight against poliovirus in the city, which is one of