- The broader campaign targets children under five, regardless of their previous immunization status
Kwara State government has announced plans to vaccinate over one million children across its 16 local government areas as part of a polio immunization campaign.
Dr Nusirat Elelu, Executive Secretary of the Kwara State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, revealed the initiative during the launch of a three-day Local Immunization Days (LID) programme in Ilorin.
The vaccination campaign, which will run from October 26 to 29, aims to curb the spread of a circulating mutant strain of the poliovirus.
Speaking on the campaign’s goals, Dr Elelu noted that 300,000 children under the age of two would be vaccinated during the LID programme. The broader campaign targets children under five, regardless of their previous immunization status. She emphasised the importance of the vaccine in preventing childhood paralysis and protecting against a range of life-threatening diseases.
The vaccination will be administered at health facilities and outreach posts across all 193 wards in the state, with teams moving through homes, schools, and religious centres to ensure wide coverage. Parents and caregivers have been urged to make their children available for the immunization.
The government hopes that this effort will bolster the state’s resistance to the poliovirus and reduce under-five mortality rates linked to vaccine-preventable diseases.