From JOHN FWAH, Kaduna
Kaduna State Primary Health Care Board has emphasised that the goal of the state remains zero tolerance for missed children.It urged parents and caregivers to make their children available for vaccination during the campaign.
The State Health Education Officer, Isah Yushau, revealed that Kaduna State had mapped out tens of thousands of settlements, adding that the state was targeting millions of children in the upcoming exercise.
He assured that adequate vaccines had been procured, adding that personnel had been recruited and trained, with necessary logistics put in place to ensure vaccination teams reach every community across the state.
He called on residents to support the exercise by cooperating with health workers, noting that collective efforts were essential to achieving a polio-free Kaduna State.He announced plans to commence another round of polio vaccination campaign as part of efforts to eradicate the disease across the state.
Yushau also stressed the critical role journalists played in disseminating accurate information and providing feedback on public health interventions.He noted that despite successes recorded in previous campaigns, challenges such as vaccine refusal by some parents and insecurity in certain areas continued to hinder efforts to achieve total coverage.
“One of the major challenges we have faced is vaccine refusal, largely due to lack of adequate information among some parents. Insecurity in some locations has also limited access to certain communities,” he said.