Fight against Polio: Ogun government to vaccinate over two million children
Ogun state government has reaffirmed its administration’s determination to ensure that the state sustained its polio-free status.
The Commissioner for Health, Dr. Tomi Coker gave the assurance during the flag off ceremony of the First Round, Outbreak Response Exercise against Polio virus held at the Iberekodo Primary Health Centre, Abeokuta.
Dr Coker who was represented by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health, Dr. Olukayode Oladeinde, said over two million children under the age of 0-59 months were targeted at during the exercise.
The Ogun state health commissioner who pointed that the outbreak of the Circulating Variant of Poliomyelitis virus in the country necessitated the exercise noted that the state in collaboration with Development Partners deemed it fit to tackle any form of the infection.
Also, the Executive Secretary, Primary Health Care Development Board, Dr. Elijah Ogunsola, who said that children of ages 0-59 months would be vaccinated with two drops of the Oral Polio Vaccine, OPV, maintained that the vaccines remained safe and potent.
In their separate messages, representative, National Team Lead for OBR1, Dr. Suleiman Haladu and the State Cordinator, World Health Organization WHO, Mrs Afolake Ogunlaja and her counterpart from the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr Victoria Adebiyi said that the vaccines were safe and effective in protecting children against diseases, reiterating that their organizations remained committed to supporting the Ogun Government in all its healthcare programs aimed at ensuring the wellbeing of residents especially children.
- Earlier, Chairman, Abeokuta North Local Government, Mr Abdul Sallam Adebayo represented by the Medical Officer of Health, Dr Oladipupo Afonja appreciated the present administration for the various health programmes and interventions, which he said, were focused on improving the wellbeing of children.
