Polio vaccination targets 587,000 children in Coast Region

KIBAHA: A TOTAL of 587,509 children aged below 10 years in all nine councils of Coast Region are expected to receive polio vaccines in an exercise scheduled for August 27-30.

Regional Vaccination Services Coordinator Dr Alfred Ngowi told journalists in Kibaha Municipality on Saturday that preparations for the exercise had been completed.

“The vaccination exercise for children under 10 years will run from August 27 to 30. We have made adequate preparations for this important exercise for our children and the nation,” he said.

Dr Ngowi said preparations included training and awareness sessions for personnel involved in the campaign, as well as establishing vaccination sites, including temporary and mobile centres.

“We have carefully planned this exercise to ensure no child misses this vital service. All areas, including hard-to-reach locations such as the Rufiji River Delta and Mafia District, will be covered,” he said.

He added that the exercise would be repeated in the region from September 29 to October 2 this year.

A representative from the Ministry of Health’s Prevention and Vaccination Programme, Ms Flora Kazoba, said the exercise was part of a national campaign whose first phase was conducted in the Lake Zone in March and repeated in May.

She said the second phase would cover eight regions: Coast, Dodoma, Tanga, Mara, Manyara, Arusha, Kilimanjaro and Dar es Salaam.

Ms Kazoba explained that polio is a contagious viral disease that attacks the nervous system and can cause paralysis, particularly in children.

She stressed that the disease is preventable through vaccination, urging parents and guardians to ensure their children receive vaccines on time.

“Vaccines help build immunity against polio and reduce the risk of infection,” she said.

In a related development, Mkuranga District Commissioner Ms Khadija Ali urged parents and guardians to ensure their children are vaccinated, noting that the service is provided free of charge.

“There is no reason for any child to miss this service. Parents and guardians should take their children to health facilities or designated centres for vaccination,” she said during a primary health committee meeting held at her office last Friday.

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She also called on leaders, health workers and community members to cooperate in ensuring all eligible children are reached, and urged the public to disregard misconceptions about vaccines.

This year’s campaign is themed: “Vaccinate your child, protect a child’s smile, prevent polio.”