BCC targets to vaccinate over 215 000 children against polio

Bulawayo (New Ziana)- The Bulawayo City Council is targeting to vaccinate close to 215 000 children under the age of 10 against polio using the novel oral poliomyelitis vaccine type 2 (nOPV2).

The first phase of the vaccine program, which runs from February 20 to 23, aims to swiftly interrupt virus transmission and protect all children under 10, reaching about 4 million children in the country.

“We are starting a polio inoculation campaign after an outbreak of the virus that cause crippling diseases. In Bulawayo Metropolitan province, we are targeting 214 586 children under the age of 10,” said council chief nursing officer Sithokozile Hove.

Hove said the vaccination will be carried out in schools, clinics, health facilities and selected private surgeries, urging parents to ensure their children are immunised during the campaign.

Zimbabwe last reported a case of indigenous wild polio virus (WPV) in 1986 and had been certified polio free in 2005, according to World Health Organisation (WHO).

Following the detection of WPV1 in Mozambique and Malawi in 2022, Zimbabwe also undertook the multi-country supplementary immunization activities (SIAs) with bOPV2 and managed to conduct four rounds of SIA.

New Ziana