By Ndahi Marama

Maiduguri—Some Borno State local government areas, believed to be vulnerable to polio due to the refusal of some parents to allow their children participate in immunization, have pledged to support new rounds of campaigns to end the disease.

About 1,200 children, aged five and below, in 539 households in Maiduguri Metropolitan Council and Jere, as well as hundreds of children at Konduga and Mafa Local Government areas in the state were said to have rejected the vaccination during the November exercise, fuelling fears that such a situation may slow down the ability of Nigeria to end the disease soon.

Chairmen of the affected local governments have, however, pledged to step up campaigns and mobilise their people to participate in this week’s round of polio vaccination.

“We have involved the traditional rulers in the process and campaigns are going on to disabuse the minds of our people on certain misconceptions about polio vaccine,” Chairman, Konduga council, Alhaji Audu Ladan, told newsmen in Maiduguri.

“We recognise the fact that traditional rulers are very important in mobilising our people to allow their children take the vaccine,” Chairman of Jere council, Shettima Deribe, added.