Story by Abigirl Tembo, Health Editor
THE second round of the national polio vaccination programme has commenced, focusing on protecting over four million children under the age of 10 in Zimbabwe.
The vaccination campaign, which will run until Friday is taking place in clinics, schools, homes, markets, and other public spaces, as government moves in to ensure no child is left behind.
Ministry of Health and Child Care’s Polio Incident Manager, Mrs Colline Chigodho said, “The polio vaccination campaign is ongoing in the country, starting today. This campaign which is being conducted this week is the second round. In the previous round, the country managed to reach more than four million children with the polio vaccine, the major objective for vaccinating children is to protect them against the poliomyelitis disease.”
“So far there is ongoing transmission in the country and the polio virus region. It has been detected within our sewer in Harare and within one child who was found to be not well in Mash-West because of the polio virus. Hence, we need to bring our children for vaccination within that targeted age group of zero to 10 years so that we protect our children from the polio disease,” she said.
Poliomyelitis commonly known as Polio is a highly contagious disease that attacks the nervous system.
It can lead to paralysis or even death, particularly among children with weakened immune systems.
Zimbabwe is collaborating with six other countries namely Burundi, Malawi, Mozambique, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Zambia in conducting similar vaccination campaigns to protect children.
