immunize your child

Lagosians have been called upon to bring out their children for the first round of the 2011 National Immunization Plus Days. (NIPDs)

The commissioner of health in the state Jide Idris in a press briefing on Wednesday said the first round of the exercise   is schedule for January 27^th-Janurry 30^th.

 Dr. Idris said health workers will be going from house to house to give polio immunization to children between 0-59 months in the state and advised parents and guardians to ensure that their children and wards are immunized.

“The importance of immunization within the healthcare delivery system cannot be overemphasized. Immunization remains the most cost effective strategy in disease prevention and health promoting services

 My appeal goes to every parent and caregiver to ensure that all their children receive polio vaccines when our health workers come knocking between January 27^th-30 2011. This is the first round of the 2011 National Immunization Plus Days(NIPDs) the second round is in February. The immunization is easy; it takes only two drops of the vaccine, the service is free, the vaccine is safe and effective”Dr. Idris said.

Dr. Idris added that the immunization will be administered to children 0-5 years irrespective of their previous immunization status

“The campaign would involve house to house, transit and fixed post teams. Children at homes, markets churches, mosques, car parks and social event venues would be specifically targeted. The house to house and transit component s of these teams will administer only OPV to children aged 0-59months irrespective of their immunization status”Dr. Idris said

“Lagos is free of Polio”.

 Efforts by the government to  eradicate polio in the country seems to be yielding results as  statistics released by the ministry of health in the state shows that  the state did not record any outbreak of polio in 2010. Dr. Idris attributed the success to   government commitment and determination to “exit” the country from the “PAIN CLUB” which is a name for countries considered to be the major exporters of Polio to the world.

“Various state governments are exercising leadership in this campaign galvanising action from all stakeholders especially our traditional and religious leaders. All of these efforts at the national, state and local government levels have led to the lowest outbreak of polio in the country in the last five years.

 Whereas 388 cases of Wild Polio various (WPV) spread across 27 states were recorded in Nigeria in 2009, comparative figures for 2011 was 18 WPV cases spread across only 7 states. It is great significance that Lagos state recorded its last outbreak in 2009 meaning that there has been no case recorded since then to date i.e. in 2010”Dr.Idris said

 Korir Charlies the World Health Organization (WHO) coordinator in the state said there is  active tracking of polio cases is in place in the state to ensure that  persons  with paralysis which can  result to polio  are promptly   isolated and treated.

“we can confidently say that Lagos state did not record any case of polio outbreak in 2010 because there is an active surveillance in the state, where people are on ground in the wards and other areas looking for children under the age of 15 who come down with paralysis since any child who comes down with polio is expected to come down with paralysis

  The whole year 2010 we have a total of 262 children across Lagos who came down with paralysis for reasons other than polio. In such cases, all those cases are collected and samples are taken to the laboratory and because of this, polio cases can easily be isolated .So we can confidently say that the progress that is being made is true “Mr. Charlies said.

Immunization Plus days campaigns has been carried out since 2006 as one of the strategies for improving immunization activities.  National Immunization Plus days (NIPDs) are special days set aside to immunize children 0-59months with two drops of potent Oral Polio Virus irrespective of their previous immunization status.  Despite government recorded successes, cultural and religious barriers have been said to have impeded people from bringing out their children to be immunized.