Immunisation: Benue records large turn out

By Peter Duru

MAKURDI — The just concluded national immunisation exercise conducted in Benue State recorded mass turnout of parents and their children who took advantage of the combined administration of the Vitamin ‘A’ supplement and the Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV), on children within the ages of one and five years.

Vanguard gathered from parents in Obi, Oju, Gwer and Ohimini Local Government Areas of the state that the combination of the OPV and the Vitamin ‘A’ supplement for children during the exercise prompted the massive response from parents who willingly presented their children to be immunised.

According to Mrs. Jane Terhemba, a petty trader at Ikyonnor council ward of Gwer local government area, she took full advantage of the immunisation because of their awareness of the importance of Vitamin ‘A’ to growing child.

Speaking to newsmen on the outcome of the exercise, the state Nutrition Officer at the Benue State Ministry of Health, Mrs. Rachael Tyozunghul, described the exercise as a huge success.

Mrs. Tyozunghul who also monitored the process in various council wards of the state noted further that the combination of the OPV and the Vitamin A supplement in the exercise actually elicited the massive turn out that greeted the Immunization Plus Days in the state.

However, Vanguard reliably gathered that the seventh round of immunisation exercise which happens to be the last for the year was almost marred by alleged cases of logistic problems and paucity of funds.

Some field officers and local immunisation officers who craved anonymity said the untimely release of necessary funds for the exercise to a large extent hampered their work.