By Peter Duru, Makurdi

No fewer than 279,240 children have been vaccinated against Polio in Makurdi and Guma Local Government Areas, LGAs, of Benue state in the first three days of the ongoing World Immunization Week, WIW, celebration.

This was disclosed by the Local Immunization Officer, LIO, in charge of Makurdi LGA, Manasseh Kwan and his Guma LGA counterpart, Adega Aondoade while speaking on the success of the exercise in their respective LGAs.

The LIO in charged of Makurdi who stated that the exercised witnessed large turnout explained that “in the first three days we have immunised 190, 470 children and we are yet to undertake the fourth day exercise so we will surpass that figure at the end of the fourth day.”

On his part, the LIO for Guma LGA, said “in the first three days we used 89,650 doses of Novel Oral Polio Vaccine 2, NOPV2, and we immunised a total of 88,770 children.”

Speaking on the exercise, the Director Local Government Health Authority, Guma LGA, Mrs. Nancy Amindi, explained that “the World Immunization Week is a week we are also observing the National Immunization Plus Days, NIPD, so we have been on the job since Saturday without problems. I want to thank God and UNICEF particularly for their support over the years.

“They have supported us in several ways to improve us by building our capacity through trainings. I am also impressed with the turn out of mothers. They always come in large numbers every Mondays and Thursdays for routine Immunization of their children against Tuberculoses, hepatitis, tetanus, diphtheria, whooping cough and Polio and we get enough vaccines from UNICEF.”

Also, Ward Focal Person for Mbawa Ward, Daudu, Guma LGA, Mrs. Patience Korga who lauded UNICEF for the enormous work and support to ensure that children were vaccinated against childhood killer diseases said “what they are doing is unquantifiable.

“All the vaccines we need are usually made available by UNICEF, and we usually embarked on wide sensitization in the ward through the use of town cries who go round the communities to announce to the people about the World Immunization Week and the need for them to bring their children for vaccination.

“Since Friday, the attendance have been very impressive. We went to settlements and Churches to inform them. We held meetings with the Chiefs to inform their subject to turn out for Immunization and also sent out 10 teams. Children are being vaccinated against Polio, Tuberculoisis, hepatitis, tetanus and other disease.”

Speaking on the exercise, the UNICEF Vaccine Security and Logistics Consultant, Benue state, Mvumble Yusuf who noted the important role UNICEF plays in the Procurement and distribution of vaccines in the country said “through UNICEF, Benue State was supplied 2.3 million of the Oral Polio Vaccine, OPV, to be administered to children.

“And should the state require more vaccines, more will be supplied to ensure that all children below the age of five are given these vaccines. And also during this campaign, there is what we call Routine Immunization, RI. During this time, if there are places they could not reach, they will leverage on this opportunity because they have funding to move around to ensure that children who may not have these Immunization, are vaccinated.”

He noted that “since October last year prior to the Measles campaign, UNICEF supplied over 2,000 Vaccine carriers to  the State. Aside that, UNICEF provides medical consumables and commodities like the syringes that is used to introduce these vaccines into the eligible children and others.”

A nursing Mother who presented her baby for vaccination, Mrs. Patience Oduga said, “my baby is doing fine and she is six months. I have been immunizing her. I am doing exclusive breast feeding, thanks to UNICEF for the medicine they have been giving us.”