African vaccination week: Ondo to immunize 350,000 children

As part of activities marking the commemoration of 2018 African Vaccination Week, the Ondo State Government has said that over 350,000 children between the ages of zero and five would be given free vaccination.

Addressing a Press Conference on Monday in Akure, the Ondo State capital, the Commissioner for Health in the state, Wahab Adegbenro said that the exercise would hold between Tuesday 24th and Thursday 26th April, 2018 in Akoko South West Local Government Area of the State.

The Commissioner noted that the Commemorative activities with the theme “Vaccines Work, Be an Immunization Champion”, would be held in all the 33 Primary Health facilities in the Local Government Area.

According to him, the Local Government was chosen ahead of other Council Areas for the exercise because of its sub-optimal performance in the routine immunization for the months of January and February 2018.

Adegbenro,while revealing that the total 583 primary health facilities offers Routine immunization in the 18 council areas of the state, noted that 14,484 children were vaccinated in the month of February, representing about 89% of the monthly target population.

He said, “In line with the directive of the Federal Government in commemoration of the week, a road show/walk is to hold in Oka Akoko this morning (Monday) in support of the week and to further create awareness for Vaccination in that local government and its environs.

“The Ondo State Government led by Governor Rotimi Akeredolu, SAN believes in the sanctity of Routine Immunization in the collective drive to keep Vaccine Preventable Diseases at bay in Ondo state and therefore continues to support the federal government’s initiatives in this regard.

“As a responsible and responsive government, we shall continue to promote and support all efforts to improve the coverage if immunization services in our dear state,thereby keeping these diseases away from Ondo State.”

He advised pregnant women in the state to desist from patronizing the Traditional Birth Attendants (TBAs) for delivery, rather embrace the free quality health facilities of the government across the state.

YOMI AYELESO, Akure