91, 101 children targeted in polio vaccination exercise in Salima
Salima District Hospital Coordinator on the Expanded Program for Immunization (EPI), Cosmas Phiri, has disclosed that the district is targeting to vaccinate 91, 101 under-five children in the ongoing polio immunization campaign.
The national polio campaign, which rolled out on Monday, 21st to 24th March, targets 2.9 million under-five children to be vaccinated.
Phiri made the sentiments on Tuesday in an interview with journalists on tour of the district to appreciate the polio vaccination exercise in Salima.
He said the district has already reached out to 20, 000 under-five children with the oral polio vaccine.
“We have started on a good note and we are optimistic of reaching the target in four days period,” he said.
Phiri outlined the measures, which have been put in place to achieve the target.
He said sensitizing the communities on the importance of vaccinating the children is among them.
He said the messages to the communities stresses on the need for parents to protect their children from polio as it is a serious body disease which can cause lifetime paralysis.
Phiri further said they are using door to door approach through Health Surveillance Assistants (HSAs) and volunteers to make sure that each and every house where there is under five children has received the vaccine.
However, he said, the houses which have been visited will be marked for easy verification.
HSA Lidson Chikhwenthe from Mchoka Health Centre said the exercise is going on very well as most parents are expressing their willingness to bring their children for vaccination.
“There is no any resistance when we knock their doors to give vaccines,” he said.
Angali Chikaso, a mother of two, Rufina (2 months) and Chrissy (4 years) from Ndindi Village, Traditional Authority (TA) Ndindi, vaccinated her children through a door to door exercise.
The vaccine my children have received will protect and prevent them from polio disease,” she said.
Chikaso therefore advised her fellow parents to get their children for vaccination.
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