By Olasunkanmi Onifade
Abuja – The FCT Primary Healthcare, in partnership with the World Health Organisation (WHO) will begin Polio Outbreak Response (OBR) immunisation for children under five years in the territory.
The Deputy Director, Advocacy Community and Social Mobilisation, FCT Primary Healthcare Board, Hajia Nana Yusuf, said this during a news conference on the forthcoming polio immunisation exercise in Abuja.
Yusuf said that the immunisation, which would start between Dec. 15 and Dec. 18, would be a house to house exercise and other places where eligible children could be found.
“For us to achieve complete success, we want collaboration with the media because the communities believe so much in their reportage.
“We also need the support of community, religious, traditional leaders and security personnel for us to have total compliance,’’ Yusuf said.
She added that oral vaccination was safe, even for newborns, sick or malnourished children and that there was no overdose as an extra dose was an extra protection.
Yusuf said eligible children would be immunised by trained and qualified health workers at health centres from 7a.m. to 3p.m. daily for the duration.
According to the deputy director, all parents and other stakeholders should unite and fight polio, an infectious and dangerous disease which cripples a child and mars his/her future. (NAN)