Sokoto LG constitutes teams to increase reception

The Sokoto South Local Government on Sunday said that it had constituted three ad-hoc teams to assist in the vaccination of all eligible Fulani children against polio.

Mr Usman Shehu, Manager, National Programme on Immunisation, (NPI), Sokoto State , told newsmen in Sokoto.

The newsmen, who were members of Journalists Against Polio ( JAP), a non-governmental organisation, had paid the manager a courtesy visit in his office .

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the team visited the area to monitor the four-day February 2016 round of the Polio Immunisation Plus Days (IPDs) that commenced on Feb.27 which would end on March 2.

Shehu said, ``We have set up ad-hoc teams that will help to vaccinate all eligible Fulani children against polio, starting with those from two months old up to 18 months old.

``Those who are between four years and six years are supposed to receive a booster dose.

``Each of the teams is made up of a female vaccinator and a female recorder.

``Their task is to visit the various Fulani settlements in the 11 wards of the local government and vaccinate the eligible children between Feb.27 and March 2.

`` This is part of the strategies introduced by the local government to reduce the cases of the rejection of the OPV.’’

The NPI manager said that the local government had also set up another seven committees on what he called Non- Compliance Resolution to convince the residents not to reject the vaccine.

According to Shehu, each of the committee comprises a health worker, a religious leader and a traditional ruler.

He said that in addition, medical teams from four hospitals had been set up to visit all the health facilities to fully immunise all the eligible children against the debilitating polio disease.

`` We have also set up eleven health camps across the area where children can be immunised, as well as where free drugs can be dispensed to them for the treatment of other diagnosed ailments.

``All these exclude the over 531 health officials conducting the exercise in various houses and fixed posts,’’ Shehu said.

He expressed happiness that the cases of rejection of polio vaccine and vaccination had drastically reduced across the local government.

Shehu appealed to all parents to always ensure that their children were fully immunised against polio and all other childhood-killer diseases